Combusting Hearts
by KittyoftheNight
Summary: My name is Elaine Conners & my life is a living hell. Why? Because I'm a class 5 mutant with no control over my powers. Everyone's afraid of me humans & mutants alike, but...perhaps there's hope in the form of new friends. Maybe I can finally stop running
1. Chapter 1

**Combusting Hearts**

Do you know one thing that I hate? My life. In fact, I've hated myself since I was 12 years old. Why you ask? Well, let's just say, it's because I'm a mutant. That's right, a mutant, and a dangerous one at that. Now, some people might think that that's a good thing, but it's not. The reason why? I have…absolutely…no control over my powers. That problem has also caused me a lot of heartache, more than anyone could ever imagine. No one knows my pain, my fear, or my loneliness. No one knows how much I hate myself…

Now, I guess we should begin with the rest of my life, and how I destroyed another piece of my sanity.

"Elaine!" my foster mom yelled from down stairs. I opened my door in frustration.

"What!" I yelled.

"I want you out of this house now! Otherwise you'll be late for school!" she shouted. I sighed, slipping my shoes on, and grabbing my bag. I through my jacket on quickly, and then ran down stairs, and out the door.

You'd think that she'd take me to school, but no, I had to walk. The lady wouldn't even consider letting me in her car, in fear that it may explode or catch fire. Yeah, that's right, she knows about my powers. Heck, if she had it her way, I wouldn't even be in her house. We basically got stuck with each other, much to her dismay. I was actually surprised when I had been placed in her care. I actually figured that someone would have tried to lock me up by now, but apparently, there must have been someone seeing to it that I wasn't thrown into confinement.

Normally, mutants like me don't last long in humane society. Most of the time, we're locked up, and put away out of sight of the 'sane' community. As far as I go, let's just say I've near been in any one particular foster home for longer than 6 months. Most times, it's even less than that. Finding people to take me in is even harder, and half of them really didn't even have a choice, they were forced to. To them, I was their worst nightmare, and ultimate fear. They were always afraid that I'd end up burning the house don't or that they'd end up dead and burnt to a crisp. I mean, it's not my fault that I can't control my powers. Trust me, I've tried. Even other mutants that were in homes around me were terrified of me, so that basically shot down any ideas I ever had of trying to makes friends.

I let out a long sigh as I looked up, standing in front of the place that I considered a daily hell, besides my life that is. Rolland High School, one of my worst nightmares.

"Ow! Hey, watch it!" I yelled, holding the back of my head that had just come in contact with a thrown football. I turned to find one of the jocks. They probably did it on purpose too, which meant that their ball was going to be a hunk of purposely melted leather too.

"My football!" the largest one yelled, completely outraged at what I had just done.

"I could say the same about my head buddy," I said irritably. He just glared at me, before shouting.

"Freak!"

I froze on the spot, my brows furrowing faintly as my eyes started to water a bit. Freak…that's what they called me. I'm a freak of nature. A freak with powers that they can't control.

"I wish I could just leave this place," I whispered to myself as I watched everyone else enter the school. I soon followed everyone else, and entered the building, going to my class room.

The moment that I walked into the room, all eyes were on me, and me alone. I shifted uncomfortably under all the stares. No one in this school liked me at all, and that was putting it nicely.

I could hear the whispers as I sat down in my seat, trying to ignore everything, and pretend that it didn't bother me.

"There's the freak again. Ugh, she so weird."

"Yeah, you'd think she'd have enough brains not to come around here."

"I know. I mean, and that HAIR? Seriously? You'd think she'd know not to try and draw further attention to herself."

I just sat there, my hands balling up as I tried to contain myself. I was actually glad when the teacher walked in, silencing everyone.

"Sorry I'm late everyone. I had trouble getting my car started this morning," Mr. Kenton said, placing his planner and teachers book on his desk. "Now, today we're going to be pairing up in partners to begin our review for tomorrows test. I want you to partner up with the person beside you and start with the flash cards that _all_ of you should have made last night. Now, get started," he said, sitting down in his chairs, quickly going to work at grading papers.

I watched as the girl that was _supposed_ to be my partner raised her hand.

"Mr. Kenton?" she asked, earning his attention.

"What is it Angela?" he questioned, glancing back down at his papers for a moment.

"Can I please go use the restroom?" she asked sweetly.

"You should have used it before coming to class," he said. I grinned at his answer.

"But it's that time of month again sir," she said. My face fell as I watched him shift uncomfortably. The one response that no male teacher can say no to, and she had to go and pull it. He coughed into his hand, before holding out a bathroom pass.

"Please hurry up then," he said. She simply turned to me with a sly smile as she got up and snatched the pass from him. She also took her purse, which was the only thing of hers in the room. I sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to be coming back any time soon.

Minutes later, I saw one of her friends texting oh so _discretely_ underneath her desk. She looked down at her phone and stifled a laugh, turning to her partner and speaking in a hushed tone.

"She's _so_ not coming back to class. I swear, that was absolute pure genious," she laughed.

I groaned as I placed my head in my arms. I give up on even trying this class today.

I don't even think that 5 minutes passed, before I felt something hit me in the back of the head. I looked down to find a crumpled up piece of paper with writing on it. I picked it up and uncrumbled it, glaring at what it said.

_Hey Freak, how's studying coming!_

I let out a small growl of annoyance, before tearing it to pieces upon my desk. I then decided to just pull a book out of my bag and read. Even then, I still continued to get things thrown at me.

I managed to read the first 2 chapters of my book, before the bell rang. The moment I heard it, I grabbed up my stuff, and exited the room. The only good thing about me being a mutant, is that in the hallway, most people move out of my way.

It was normally always like this. No one wanted to be anywhere near me at all because they were too scared of me. I had absolutely no friends, and no one wanted to be my friend, no matter what. No one was here for me, no one stood up for me, no one cared about me. I could die tomorrow and no one would ever shed a tear or whisper a bittersweet word or verse of sorrow. There was absolutely nothing here for me at all.

A couple hours later, the same thoughts were going through my head. Lunch time was no exception to those thoughts. In fact, it just made them worse, and soon, my plate was starting to glow and combust.

"Watch it freak," one guy said as he shoved passed me, bumping into my shoulder. My plate exploded, taking part of his arm with it.

Everyone around me backed away in fear, fearing that they'd be next. Screaming soon ensued as I lost control of my powers, watching things explode around me. The only thing that I could do was stand there as tears fell.

Pillars soon started to give way in the cafeteria.

_Help me! Please! Someone help me!_

†

In New York, I kind faced man in a wheel chair was nearly thrown back into his chair as a voice echoed through his mind. It was the voice of a young girl in pain and distress. She sounded absolutely terrified as though everything were falling down around her and caving in.

He made his way quickly to Cerybro to confront the problem. No doubt it was a young mutant in dire need of help.

The moment he placed the helmet on, he was thrown for a loop of emotions. Sadness, fear, pain, anger, loneliness, emptiness, and insecurity. So many emotions all pouring out at once, devolving into a tremor of lethal power, and he was sure it was one that she could not control.

_Help me! Please!_ The young girls voice cried out painfully. Her image appeared in front of him. She was indeed a young mutant, and she was in desperate need of help.

_Logan, Storm, Scott…meet me in the hanger and have the jet ready, we're leaving now._ He spoke through his mind as he wheeled out of the room quickly and down the hall. He knew that he had to hurry, otherwise, people were going to get killed.

†

The only things that I could hear were that of yelling and screaming as a type of security was deployed. They scarcly knew what to do as some of them just stared at me. A few of them even had guns out and were pointing them at me, only resulting in making things were. More explosions ripped through the school, shaking its walls. I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I simply couldn't control it as my powers went on a full out rampage.

"Stop this now!" one of the men ordered, lifting his gun carefully.

"I can't!" I cried over the noise, my shoulders shaking terribly.

"Just shoot her already and put an end to it!" one of them shouted.

"That's the only way to stop a mutant like that," another one added as he aimed his gun at me. I just sat there crying, not able to do anything else. My fear was creeping up on me, fueling my powers further.

The floor exploded in front of them, throwing them back a few feet.

_Just make everything stop… I want everything to stop and just go away!_ I cried out in my head. Then as if by magic, everything seemed to freeze in place. The screaming, the yelling, the flames, the explosions, even my powers.

I looked around fearfully, trying to figure out what was happening.

"It's alright now my dear," a voice said. I looked around frantically, my eyes falling upon a man in a wheel chair. There were also 3 other people standing behind him. Two men and one woman. The woman looked to be of African descent, with long white hair, that flowed down her back. Her attire was mostly white, with an 'X' on the front. To her right, stood a man short brown, almost coppery hair. He had a strange looking visor over his eyes, and stood there with a menacing look about him. Then there was the last one. He was a well build man, with broad shoulders, and a strange hair cut. He kind of reminded of an animal, like a wolf or something.

I looked back at the man in the wheel chair, unsure of what to do. I became scared and started to move away from them, scooting back on my hands and knees.

"Wh-who are you?" I asked, my eyes never staying on one person in particular. The man just sported a kind smile, extending his hand out a bit.

"We are the X-Men," he said, gesturing to those around him. "We're here to help," he told me. "_And we're mutants just like you are Elaine,_" his mouth never moved, though his voice was definitely in my head.

I watched as he wheeled closer to me, before coming to rest in front of me. He just smiled down at me, a warm, genuine smile.

"Now, if you'll let me, I'd like to take away your fear Elaine," he said, staring down at me. _Let me help you…let me put your mind at ease child _he spoke into my mind. I never even noticed as his hands came to rest on either side of my head, his warm eyes never leaving mine.

_I'd like that… _I whispered in my head, feeling a gentle warmth wash over my mind. I could feel it calm my raging thoughts, and sooth my fearful mind. It put me at ease as I felt my eyes close, and my head slowly fall to rest on a small portion of his lap as I left consciousness.

†

"Logan, if you would?" he said, gesturing to the feral man. Logan nodded his head, coming over, and kneeling down beside him. He carefully picked the girl up, sweeping one arm around behind her back, and the other under her legs. Upon finding how light she was, he knew that she didn't eat much. In fact, she seemed a bit malnourished, and that bothered him.

After Logan had successfully picked her up, the kind man turned to the other two.

"Scott, Storm, I'm sure you can handle things from here?" he asked, watching as they gave him a nod in response.

"Yes, we'll be with you in a few minutes Professor," Scott assured him. "Just make sure the two of you are settled in and ready to go when I get there. Got that Logan?"

Logan growled at him.

"Yeah, I got ya…right here," he said, making an obscene hand gesture. Scott just glared at him.

"Come Logan, let's get her on board," the Professor said, trying to relieve the tension. He just grunted, but followed the Professor nonetheless. He did not see the cocky smirk on Scotts face as he left, otherwise, Logan would have let him have it real good.

**I hope everyone liked my first chapter. This is my first time attempting a X-Men story, but I think that I'll do pretty good. I hope after reading this chapter you'll REVIEW. I'd really like to have some feedback on this one. Also, feel free to look at my profile and see if there are any other stories of mine that you might be interested in. Thanks for reading everyone and please review? Pretty please?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 2**

When I woke up, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I looked around frantically. Where was I!?

Looking around, I found myself in a average sized room, with red walls. There was a dresser with a mirror against one of the walls, a nightstand next to the bed that I was currently resting in, two lamps, a bathroom, a desk, a closet, and two large windows.

Even though the bed was comfortable, I was freaking out. The moment that my hand made contact with the small book on the nightstand, it charged and exploded. I let out a shriek as it burn part of the nightstand, leaving splinters of wood on the floor.

_I need to get out of here_ I thought quietly to myself as I quickly stood up and rushed out of the room. I looked around the halls carefully, finding no one in sight, and ran for it.

I hid behind a pillar as someone walked by. They stopped for a moment and sniffed the air, stiffening for a moment.

_Oh no, oh no, oh no!_ I had to run, and I had to run NOW!

Quickly, I took off down the hall, not bothering to look back as the man yelled at me.

"Hey kid, come back here!" he called, bidding me chase as he ran after me.

I quickly glided down the stairs passed kids, running frantically through the hall as I tried to keep away from the man chasing me. My current fear, was slowly starting to fuel my powers again as I ran, my hands brushing against things every now and then, and then exploding moments later. It was terrifying, and once again, sent people running away from me in fear.

_Turn right. _Said a voice in my head. For some reason or another, I decided to listen, and I turned right.

_Turn left at the next corner. _I turned left at the next corner.

_Turn into your right, 3rd door from the end._ I followed its instruction, running into the room and closing the door. I was surprised to see the man from yesterday sitting behind a desk, his back to the large window behind him.

_Good morning Elaine._ I went bug eyed as I came to realize something.

"It was you giving me all of those directions?" I asked a bit frazzled. He nodded in response with a warm smile.

"Yes, it was me. In fact, I sent Logan to go retrieve you, but you've apparently been running away from him this whole time," he explained, turning to face the man that just entered the room. "Ah, Logan my boy, how are you this morning?" Logan just glared at him, then at me.

"Running all around the damn house trying to catch up to her," Logan replied as he looked at me. I looked down in shame. He was just trying to help me and I ran away from him.

Smart Elaine, real smart. I sighed quietly, before turning my head back up, and looking at the professor.

"Um…I don't mean to be rude sir, but…where am I exactly?" I asked. There seemed to be a twinkle in his eye as I asked him this. I then watched as he wheeled out from behind the desk.

"Why, you are at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters," he said proudly.

Wait, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters as in Charles Xavier? THE Charles Xavier? The one that has been pushing for mutants rights? The man that I've wanted to meet since I found out that I was a mutant?

"You're…you're Charles Xavier?" I asked in disbelief, my eyes trained on him.

"Yes, I am, and this is my school," he informed me.

I sighed and fell to my knees, closing my dark eyes. I was finally where I wanted to be after so many years…finally… A thought then popped into my mind.

"Um…Professor Xavier?" He looked down at me.

"Yes, my dear?"

"How…how exactly did you manage to find me?" I asked slowly, still a bit confused about everything. He just smiled at me.

"Well, let's just say, you're a very _unique_ mutant," he said, hinting a bit on unique. I looked at him, confusion written on my face.

"What exactly do you mean by _unique_?" I inquired. He came closer, wheeling in front of me, placing a hand gently on top of my head.

"I was able to hear you when you were calling out for help," he explained, "You were able to project your thoughts quite well might I add."

My brows furrowed in confusion, then my face turned into a frown. _That means…it's not just the flames and explosions…there's…more. _I thought quietly to myself.

"You've been running for a long time my dear, but now, you don't have too any more. We can help you," he said.

I just looked down at my hands. My eyes went wide as the tips of my fingers glowed red, causing me to back away quickly, to avoid hurting anyone. I was scared. Unfortunately, when I'm scared, I running. So, out of habit, I quickly got up and ran out of the room. I left the two men in the room staring after me.

Logan turned to the professor, giving him a questioning look.

"Should I go after her?" he asked gruffly. Charles just shook his head at the question.

"No. I don't think there will be any need to do that Logan, but keep an eye on her perhaps? Just to make sure she doesn't get into trouble," he offered, before wheeling back behind his desk.

T

I sighed as I let my back slide down against one of the trees outside. I was near one of the courtyards in the school. The people I saw looked so happy as they interacted with each other, smiling, and laughing. I frowned a bit at this, envious at what they had, and what they could do. They were able to be themselves without any problems. They could have friends and regular conversations with each other without any fear or prejudice. Everyone accepted one another. Although, I knew that just like any other…they'd end up being afraid of me.

Once again, I found myself gazing down at my hand, seeing it glowing a faint red.

My emotions were so out of order.

After sitting there for a good while on the grass, I heard a poofing sound, followed by…

"Ello," came a voice from above me. I looked up and jumped, accidentally knocking the back of my head against the tree.

"Ow…" I whined as I held my head.

"Sorry about that"

I jumped again as the man was now in front of me, staring at me as he crouched down beside me. The man was slight intimidating, with his dark blue skin, yellow eyes, pointy ears, and pointed tail.

"W-who are you?" I stuttered, my heart still pounding in my chest. He smiled at me before speaking, his tail flicking back and forth behind him.

"My name is Kurt Wagner," he said happily. "Although, to my friends in the Munic circus, I vas known as the incredible Nightcrawler," he explained. I just stared at him. He gave me a curious look. "Do I make you uncomfortable?" he asked, his tail twitching a bit.

"No…not exactly," I said quietly, making him look even more curious than before. I decided to explain a bit. "Well, you surprised me, yes, but…I'm not used to having people actually talk to me. Not willingly anyway…," I told him.

"Vhy is that? You seem fairly normal to me," he said, tilting his head to the side a bit.

I looked away for a moment, staring down at the grass as I brushed my fingertips against it. I could practically feel the energy starting to pulsate, causing me to draw back my hand quickly.

"I'm not exactly your average mutant," I explained, quickly realizing how that had sounded, so I corrected myself. "What I mean is…I…" I just went silent.

"Vhat is wrong?" he asked.

I sighed, before backing up a bit, signaling for him not to come any closer as I picked up a fallen leaf. He sat there and watched me carefully.

Quietly, I drew in a breath, trying my hardest to conscentrate. This would be one of the few times I was actually trying to will my powers to work, instead of having them worm their way out on their own.

After about a minute, my hand started to glow red, and the leaf burst into flames.

"That is amazing," he said, smiling at me. I just shook my head, my hand coming to touch the ground again. The moment it connected, there was a small explosion, causing me to jump and let out a startled yelp. "And that is dangerous," he stated, a slight worried look on his face.

"You have no clue," I whispered. Somehow, he seemed to catch a sadness in my voice with those ears of his.

"Vhy don't you tell me about it then? It vill help," he suggested. I just shook my head, my hands curling up a bit.

"No…I…I can't. It's…too painful," I told him, my brows pulling in sadness. The death of my parents wasn't something that I personally wanted to talk about right now. We were then interrupted by a shout.

"Hey! Blue boy!" a boy called, starting to walk over to us.

"Sorry," he whispered to me, before disappearing.

"Hey! No fair!" he cried out in annoyance, then he was me and grinned. I frowned at this because the look on his face only meant trouble. "Hey there cutie. What's your name?" he asked, practically backing me up against the tree.

My breath caught in my throat as fear started to kick in. I could feel my chest tighten up a bit, and a warmth starting to run through my fingers as he got even closer to me.

"Well? Aren't you going to answer or cat got your tongue?" he asked, raising an eye brow at me. my eyes widened as he started to reach a hand out towards me. There was no stopping what was going to happen next.

Before he could even blink, the tree behind me exploded, sending both of us flying. Of course, when I fell, I had to end up landing on my shoulder. My body shook from the pain. The only thing that I could hear, was shouts.

"What's wrong with you!? Are you nuts! You could have killed me!" the guy yelled, letting down the strange shield he had made of his arm. He glared at me hatefully, causing my eyes to start watering. This was exactly why I didn't like being around people.

I just watched helplessly as he started to stomp toward me, then moments later, I heard a poof. I lifted my head to see Kurt crouched down in front of me. He was looking at me with sad, apologetic eyes. He quickly wrapped his arms around my back, and then we were gone.

A second later, we were in a room, back inside the school.

"I'm very sorry," he whispered. With his voice, it sounded as though he were ashamed of himself. I just shook my head.

"No…don't worry…I'm used to it by now," I told him, glancing down at my throbbing shoulder. I think it came loose from its socket. I sighed quietly.

"I truly am sorry Miss…um…" it was then that he realized, he had never actually asked me my name. "Vhat is your name? I'm afraid I never got around to asking you," he said. I watched as his tail gave a sharp twitch behind him.

"Elaine…Elaine Conners" I told him, my eyes glued to his tail that seemed to always be in constant movement. If I were a cat, I would seriously be batting at it right now. Actually, scratch that, I'm still tempted.

"Such a nice name," he spoke softly, watching my eyes follow his tail.

"No it's not…it's plain," I told him, my eyes flitting back and forth with his tail.

"Does mein tail really interest you that much?" he asked, a small knowing grin on his face.

My face flushed when he asked that question.

"I…um…" I couldn't seem to get the right words out, much less a proper sentence. I swear, the next thing that he did had to be on purpose though, it just had to be.

He purposely flicked his tail in front of me, wagging it in front of me face a bit, which caused me to bat at it. Then he did it again. This continued for at least a good five to ten minutes, with me ending up on my back, 'pawing' at it like a cat. How much more embarrassing can you get?

The whole time, Kurt seemed to have a quiet smile on his face. He found it calming to have someone see him as normal, minus the tail and everything else of course. Though really, it was a feeling of equality, since I was at ease with him around me.

Unfortunately, he ended our play time with that dreaded question of his.

"Vould you like me to go and get Logan to help you vith your arm?" he asked, causing my eyes to shoot open with a groan. He looked at me oddly.

"Do we have to?" I whined, not looking forward to the pain of having my shoulder put back into place.

"No, but it vould be a good idea," he pointed out. I sighed quietly.

"Fine…but…don't leave me alone with him…okay?" I asked, my confidence falling quickly. He just nodded his head in agreement.

"I'll be vight back," he said, before disappearing with a poof.

**I hope everyone liked this chapter. Please, please, please, please, please REVIEW? I seriously need feedback on this story. Oh yeah, and I know that Kurt and Gambit aren't that young given how things are setup in the movies and stuff, but this is my story, so I'm making them both in their early to mid 20's. I hope no one has a problem with that?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 3**

I sighed quietly as I sat there staring at the man known as Logan. Kurt had just gotten back moments ago, and now me and the rugged looking man were in a staring contest of sorts.

He growled at me.

"Don't you ever blink?" he asked gruffly with irritation. I just shrugged my shoulders, immediately regretting it as pain shot through my left one.

I held onto it tightly as Logan reached forward with his calloused hand. The feeling was a bit rough, though he was trying to be gentle with me as he pulled me a bit closer to him. I gazed up at him with a bit of fear in my eyes, quickly glancing over at Kurt, who sat but a foot away from my right.

"This is gonna hurt," Logan warned, getting a better hold of my arm and shoulder. I could see Kurt's tail flicking furiously around him, his ears twitching slightly as he trained his bright yellow eyes on me.

Within moments, I was nearly choking on a scream as my arm was being shoved back into its socket. Tears flowed freely from my eyes as I sat there, quickly curling into a ball the moment that Logan let go.

It was so painful.

"Maybe I should have let the old fuzz ball do it?" Logan said more to himself than anyone else.

Surprisingly enough, seeing me in pain like this made him shift uncomfortably.

"Logan, maybe she should stay in here for a vhile vith me?" Kurt inquired, his tail swatting against the ground for a moment.

"Fine," Logan sighed, "Less work for me then."

Kurt smiled to himself as he watched Logan leave, coming over to me once the door was closed.

"Are you all vight?" he asked, peering down at my scrunched up face.

"Do I look alright to you?" I groaned, closing my eyes for a moment, before gazing back up at him.

"I don't know, that's vhy I asked," he said, looking down at me. I sighed quietly.

"Help me up?" I asked, holding out my uninjured arm. He wrapped his tail around my wrist, gently easing me up as he pulled it. I let out a light sigh when I was finally standing up. "Thanks Kurt," I whispered, knowing that he heard me with those ears of his.

"I know that I told him ve'd be in here, but vould you like to get something to eat?" he asked, tail twitching.

"Yes please?"

T

We were back in his room again after getting food. I didn't feel comfortable staying down there while eating, so he brought me back up here.

"Kurt?"

He looked up at me from his bologna on rye sandwich.

"Hm?" he asked, with a mouth full of sandwich.

I tried my hardest not to laugh as I looked at him.

"How do…how do you put up with this all?" I asked carefully. I watched as he swallowed what was in his mouth.

"Vhat do you mean?" he asked, a bit confused.

I sighed heavily.

"This," I said, gesturing with my hands, "Everything around you…all of this crap…" I whispered.

He placed his sandwich down and crouched down in front of me, carefully placing a hand on my shoulder.

"You mean…the fear?" he questioned. I nodded my head slowly. He sighed. "I don't exactly 'put' up vith it," he explained. "I've been hiding for years fraulein, but over the years, things change," he explained.

"How so?" I asked.

"Since I came here, I've come in contact vith more people that accept me," he explained. I shook my head quickly.

"But what about that one guy?" I asked. He snorted faintly, his tail flicking harshly.

"Slick…" he whispered the name, but I still caught it.

"So that's his name?" I asked.

Kurt nodded his head in irritation. It also made me realize something.

"He causes you a lot of problems, doesn't he Kurt?" Even though I asked him this, I already knew the answer to my question.

"Yes. Slick is vhat some vould call a pain in the but," he stated not so kindly.

I nodded my head in understanding as I looked at Kurt. Something in my stomach was churning, making me feel sick. I had to lean over, holding my stomach.

It was my emotions again that was causing it.

This definitely wasn't good. I just sat there clutching my stomach. Kurt had a pained face as he looked at me.

"Vhat is the matter?" he asked with concern.

I just shook my head as I stood up, walking over to the door, and holding onto the doorframe. I had to get out of here for a bit, before I did some serious damage.

"Elaine?" Kurt called, but I didn't answer him. Instead, I ran out of the room and down the hall. "Elaine!" he called, but it was no use, I was already gone. He sighed quietly, looking down at our food, before poofing out of the room.

T

I could already feel my hands heating up. I could see the red in my fingertips as it flared up. This wasn't something that I liked, and currently, I had no control over it. The only thing that I could do, was try and avoid people at all costs, but of course that didn't always happen.

"Hey you!"

The voice that called me was very familiar. When I turned around, I found the culprit, and I wasn't very happy with it either. Slick.

"What's wrong with you!?" he yelled. "You nearly killed me earlier," he said in annoyance. I just growled at him.

"If you kept your hands to yourself, then maybe things like that wouldn't happen," I told him as I turned back around, and started to walk away. He had to be stupid enough and grab my arm. "G-get off me!" I yelled, pulling away sharply. I didn't like being touched.

Before I could actually go anywhere else, his arm stretched and wrapped around me. My mind completely froze up, and my breathing stopped, before quickly going out of control. I closed my eyes, before letting out a scream. The ground around me practically exploded, nearly taking Slick's arm off.

I just couldn't stop it as the ground gave way in different areas, and my hands glowed bright red. This was what I was trying to avoid, but now it was happening again.

_I just want to disappear! _I cried as a tree exploded a few feet away.

"Freak! You're out of control!" Slick yelled, before running off with his bloodied arm.

T

_Logan, go to her_ the Professor said as he watched from his window. He knew that Logan would hear him, and as if on cue, moments later he was running outside towards the young child.

T

"G-get away!" I yelled as Logan came toward me. I didn't want anyone else getting hurt because of me.

"Kid, you have to calm down," he said, coming ever closer, even as the ground was exploding around him.

"I…I can't!" I cried, hugging myself in pain. I was freaking out and it was causing me stress, which only fueled my powers further. I watched as the ground exploded in front of him, taking away skin. I let out another scream as a result, crying as I saw him lay there on his back. What I didn't see, given the fact that my head was down, was that he was getting back up. His skin was healing in the process.

What scared me the most, was when he put his arms around me.

"L-L-Logan!" I cried, trying to pull away, but he wouldn't let me. He just held me against him as I shook.

"Just calm down kid. You can't hurt me," he said, trying to calm me down. It didn't really do that much though as we sat there, things exploding around me in pieces. I just couldn't take it and started crying. Logan continued to hold onto me as I cried, my powers seeming to simmer down a bit.

I just couldn't take it anymore, just like every other time that this happened, I couldn't handle it. I couldn't handle myself, I couldn't handle the situation, and I couldn't handle my powers. Everything was always out of control.

I used to be a devout Christian when I was younger, but now, it was like it all disappeared. The moment I turned mutant, all of that went out the door. I was never able to look back again.

Soon, I found myself hugging Logan, crying against him. Normally, when I cried like this, my powers took free rein in a situation like this, but they didn't. Instead, they just seemed to stop.

Logan hugged me back as we sat there. He just sat there holding me against him like a protective brother. A protective brother that wanted dearly to help his sister.

Before I knew, I ended up falling asleep against him.

I was completely exhausted, and my body just gave out on me completely. Nothing could wake me now, nothing could do anymore damage at the moment…or at least that's what I thought anyway.

**I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'm sorry if it's a little bit short, but I had to break it off where I did, so yeah. I can't wait to get feedback on this chapter. Hopefully, I'm not going too fast with the story line so far. If I am, please let me know? I want to make this story as good as possible. So please, review and let me know what you think? I'm trying to make sure that I keep Elaine's character as real as possible, and so far, I think I'm doing good. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. I'm always open to suggestions and ideas. Thank you everyone.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 4**

_I sat there reading a book quietly, listening to the quiet music of my radio that was playing. I only lifted my head when I heard yelling downstairs. My parents were fighting again._

_I sighed quietly as I placed my book down, going to my door, and walking downstairs. I nearly got hit in the face with a glass plate as I entered the room._

"_Mom!" I yelled, ducking out of the way._

_She stopped, watching me hold onto the wall in fear. My father yelled at her._

"_Look what you almost did Helen!" he yelled. "You nearly hit our daughter." She just glared at him._

"_Well, it's your fault that all of this started to begin with!" she shouted, throwing another plate at him. It shattered against the wall as he ducked out of the way, pieces flying all over the place._

"_Elaine, please go back upstairs sweetie," my father said, walking toward me. My mom held another plate in her hands, getting ready to throw it at him. I yelled at him, pushing him out of the way, and getting hit myself._

_The moment that the plate hit me, it was like something inside me clicked. Something was triggered…something afoul._

"_Elaine?" my dad called, but I didn't answer. The moment he touched me, flames broke out, surrounding him. He cried as he tried to get rid of them. My mom screamed as they covered the walls. Small explosions soon followed, blowing out the wall behind me, sending debris all over the place. My parents covered their faces, but it did little good._

"_Elaine, stop it!" my mom screamed, but her voice was met with another explosion, followed by another scream as the ceiling fell on top of her._

"_Helen!" my dad yelled, running toward her. I couldn't stop it though, I had absolutely no control. Moments later, the entire house exploded, leaving nothing behind._

_I was left beneath the rubble, laying there for hours, til someone found me. I couldn't even see when they brought me out. I was left with a pair of eyes staring at me, and a chunk of metal from the house floating above me._

I woke up with a yell, falling out of bed.

I quickly looked around the room, tears falling from my eyes.

"M-mom…D-dad…" I cried into my hands. It was entirely my fault that they were dead.

I jumped when I heard a knock at my door, quickly trying to dry my tears, but it was no use. My eyes soon met those of Logan's, and I was stuck.

When he saw me, his brows knitted together a bit. He wasn't sure what was going on with me as he knelt down in front of me.

"You alright kid?" he asked, watching as a few more tears fell.

All I could do was shake my head no as I set there. I couldn't really do much of anything else, but let the tears continue to fall as images of my dream haunted me.

"It's all my fault," I whimpered, curling up on the floor.

"Hey…" he whispered, kneeling down in front of me. He placed a hand on my shoulder, pulling me up a bit, until I was laying against him some. It helped so that I wouldn't end up choking on my own tears.

For a while, I just laid there crying, just trying to catch my breath and breathe. It was so hard to get a proper breath in, without just putting it back out.

About a hour later, Logan could be seen with his back leaning against the bottom of my bed, and my head on his leg. His hand, was resting on top of my head. Once again, I was asleep. This time though, my dreams weren't haunting me, at least for a while anyway.

Even though Logan could have left at any given point in time, he didn't. He continued sitting there with me.

_Logan? _The Professor called.

Logan grunted for a moment.

_I'm busy _he thought in his head, knowing that the Professor would hear him. After that, he didn't hear anything else, so he closed his eyes.

T

The next day, I was called to the Professor's office. He said that he wanted to talk to me about something important.

"You wanted to talk to me Professor?" I asked as I closed the door behind me. I found the Professor sitting behind his desk, with his hands folded together. I caught sight of Logan standing propped up against the wall with his eyes closed.

"Yes, please have a seat?" he said.

Once I was comfortable in my seat, he spoke again.

"Due to recent events, I think that it's time that we start trying to work on your powers," he said, looking at me from behind his desk. "I also realize how uncomfortable you feel about this Elaine, but it's something that we must do," he explained.

I just sat there, turning my eyes down to my hands. The last thing that I wanted was to mess with my powers. I was afraid that everything would just go out of control like it always does.

"Elaine?" he called, making me look over at him. "I know that you can do this if you try my dear. It just takes practice," he said, but I was still doubtful about it.

"Now as far as regular classes go, we'll try putting you in with other students for the time being. You will also be spending a few hours alone with me each day to work on your powers," he said, before turning to Logan. "Logan has also agreed to help with your daily training," he added, making my eyes widen a bit.

"What? But…I…" I tried, but I couldn't get the words out properly.

"Don't worry Elaine, everything will be fine," he said.

At that moment, Logan shoved himself off the wall, and walked over to me.

"I'll be fine kid, just give me all ya got," he said, before walking out of the room.

I looked at him like he was crazy. Give him all I got? You've got to be freaking kidding me!?

T

The whole rest of that week, I was either in classes or practicing in private with the Professor, and occasionally with Logan of course.

To be honest, the part with Logan was the scariest. I was so afraid of hurting him, and then whenever I did, his skin would just grow back. It was rather unnerving to be honest. When I thought that I had nearly taken his arm off was the worst. The only thing that I was able to see, was bones, and metal.

When in class, I tried my best to remain in control and remain calm around everyone, but it didn't always seem to work. It didn't help matters much that I had to see Slick everyday in class. I already felt guilty and uncomfortable enough around him to begin with.

At the moment though, I was sitting outside, just sitting there and picking at my food. To be honest, I just really wasn't that hungry. Really, I was more occupied with my powers.

I just sat there staring at a rock in front of me.

T

Else where in the mansion, the Professor was escorting around a visitor that had arrived a few hours ago. He was escorting an older gentleman like himself, simply talking about different things as they went. The man in question seemed to put most of the residence at the mansion on edge though.

"So, Charles, what have you really been up to lately?" the man asked as they rounded a corner.

"Oh, nothing really Erik, just the usual sort of things," Charles said as he rolled along side his old friend.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've heard that you've come into possession of a new student, a rather peculiar one might I add," he stated, looking into some of the classrooms as they walked by.

"So, you've been listening in on things again I see," the Professor said. "It's true, we do have a new student. She's a rather interesting girl I must say. I've never seen anything like her. I only wish that I could have gotten to her sooner though," he finished, looking outside.

Erik followed his gaze, which happened to land on that of a young girl. She had dark hair that came down to about her shoulders with red streaks in it. She was also of average height from what he could tell.

"She's been in my care for nearly 2 weeks now," Charles explained, his eyes still gazing at the young girl, who seemed to be staring at something on the ground. "I've been trying to work with her on her powers as of late, and she seems to be making some progress," he said.

"Ah, progress…progress is always good," Erik said with a light chuckle. His attention was quickly pulled back to the young girl though upon hearing a small explosion, followed by yelling. With the window open, they could hear everything.

"Kurt! Don't scare me like that!" she yelled, brushing bits of rock off of her. The blue boy just laughed.

"Sorry, I did not mean to startle you," he said, trying to apologize. She just threw her apple at him, which he promptly caught with his tail.

They watched as her mouth fell open.

"Give me back my apple," she said, holding her hand out. Kurt shook his head, looking at the apple as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"You did not seem to vant it vhen you threw it at me," he said, biting back a smile. She just glared at him.

"Give me back my apple," she said, lunging at him, only to fall face first into the dirt as he disappeared. "Hey, no fair Kurt," she called as she looked around her. Kurt was nowhere to be found though, until her apple fell on her head.

Charles let loose a chuckle as he watched this, smiling softly at the scene before him. Erik was also watching them carefully.

"I should like to meet her if you don't mind Charles," Erik nudged as he turned his eyes to his friend.

"Of course Erik," Charles consented as he rolled off, Erik following behind him.

T

I stood there laughing as Kurt kept poofing around me. He just wouldn't stay still.

I reached out to grab him, but only ended up grabbing his tail. The next thing I know, I am clinging to a tree branch quite a few feet up in the air.

"Kurt!" I screamed, hanging from the branch. He just sat on the ground below, laughing at me. "Kurt, get me down!" I yelled, my legs flailing furiously as my fingers tried to keep their hold on the thick branch.

"No, I think I'll let you hang there for a few minutes fraulein," he said with a chuckle.

Oh, how he was going to get it when I got down. That is, if I ever get down.

"Kurt!" I cried, watching the blue-tailed devil roll on the ground laughing. He only stopped laughing when my shoe fell off and hit him in the head.

"Autsch!" he cried, rubbing his head.

"Get me down!" I cried.

"What's going on here?" the sound of the Professor's voice startled me, causing me to let go of the branch. I let out a yelp as I fell, closing my eyes, only to be stopped half way. When I opened them, I found myself on a large, thin metal plate.

The only thing that I could do was watch in awe at the person before me whom had his hand raised, slowly lowering me to the ground.

"Elaine, I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine, Sir Erik Lehnsherr. Erik, this is Miss Elaine Conners," the Professor said, introducing us.

The man held his hand out to me, but I just stared at it. The Professor just let out a small laugh. I blushed faintly and gave him my hand, watching as he brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of my hand.

"The pleasure is all mine Miss Conners," he said, bowing lightly. I stared at him, not noticing how on edge Kurt was at the moment.

"Elaine…" Kurt hissed, poking me with the point of his tail.

"Ow!" I yelled, smacking at his tail.

Erik watched us with curiosity as did the Professor. I didn't know what was up with Kurt, but I was going to find out. So, I followed him when he ran off, catching up to him.

"What was that for?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

"He's trouble," Kurt said, glaring back at where we had come from. I looked at him curiously.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He's the enemy," he said.

This didn't make any sense. If he was the enemy, why would the Professor let him in?

"Ve should get going," Kurt said as he grabbed hold of my wrist, pulling me along, and back inside.

**I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter? I hope to get feedback from everyone on how I'm doing. Remember I accept anonymus reviews as well. So even if you don't have an account, you can still review. Also, I realize that some of you are probably wondering when Gambits going to be coming into the picture. Hopefully, it should be within the next couple chapters or so. Please REVIEW and please keep READING. I love knowing that people like my stories and hopefully everyone continues to read them. Also, try some of my other stories, you might find some that you like.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 5**

Today has seriously been hell. It's been one week since Mr. Lehnsherr came to visit. So far, all of today has been a mess.

People just won't leave me alone, and I know that Slick has something to do with it. They just keep pestering me to no end. It was stupid question after stupid question. Not to mention, it's already bad enough that I've been waking up every night in the middle of the night from a nightmare.

My mind just can't seem to stay calm, and as a result, I haven't been getting much sleep. I've constantly been thinking about things and why I'm even here.

The Professor's been trying his best to help me calm my nerves, but it hasn't been doing much good.

I sighed as I stepped out of my classroom. All that I wanted to do was just go up to my room and lay down. Though as fate would have it, it wasn't going to happen.

"So, how'd you end up here anyway, huh?" one of Slick's friends asked me as he shoved me a bit.

I glared at him.

"Leave me alone Ram," I growled as I pushed away from him, trying to head up stairs. His other friend blocked my path, staring at me with deep purple eyes.

"Did they send you away and give you some stupid excuse? Or did you run away, huh?" the other one asked.

"Shut up…" I growled. They just gave me a strange look, before grinning.

"Huh? What's wrong? We strike a nerve?" Ram laughed. "Hey Sham, I'm starting to have fun with this one," Ram said to his purple eyed companion.

"I bet your parents were too afraid of you that they kicked you out of the house," Sham laughed.

"Shut up!" I yelled as I shoved them away from me. They just laughed at me as I tried to get around them. Though when my hands started to glow red, they backed away, or at least Sham did. Ram just stood there taunting me until I hit him, burning him in the process. Even part of his shirt caught on fire.

"Witch!" he yelled, trying to put out his shirt. Sham came toward me, only to have a small explosion go off, followed by another.

I couldn't stand it anymore, so I ran. I didn't really care where I was going, I just ran. I was running away from things again like I always do. Then again, what could I do? All that I ever do is cause trouble and destruction where ever I go. I was tired of it and just wanted to disappear from everything.

T

"Professor, Elaine's gone missing," Kurt said as he burst into the office, Logan soon following.

Charles looked at the two of them for a moment, before concentrating on something.

"She has to be here somewhere…" he started, before his brows furrowed. "She's gone…"

"Professor?" Kurt questioned, watching as the man quickly wheeled out from behind his desk, and headed to the door.

"I'm going to try and use Cerebro to find her. At the moment, she's not only a danger to others, but also to herself," he said, quickly wheeling down the hall. Logan and Kurt followed behind him to the elevator, where they went down to the basement.

Kurt let out a small shiver as the cool air made contact with his skin.

"Come on blue boy," Logan grunted as he grabbed Kurt by the back of his jacket and pulled him along.

They stood there as the system preformed a retinal scan on the Professor's eye, before granting him access to Cerebro.

"Welcome Professor," came the automated voice that belonged to Cerebro.

Charles let loose a small smile upon hearing the female voice that had been programmed. He then wheeled in front of the helmet that rested on a small pedestal, awaiting for him to use it.

"Just stay where you are boys, this should only take a few minutes," Charles said over his shoulder, before positioning the helmet on his head.

Images of red and white soon projected in front of him, showing him every person in the United States. The images ranged from men to women and children, people of all age, mutant and human alike. Though, that was not what he wanted at the moment. No, he wanted to find Elaine. With that in mind, he narrowed down to the red images, sifting through the ones in the surrounding area.

Her image appeared before him when he locked onto her. She looked scared. She was trying to run away from everything.

"The train station," the Professor whispered. Before they could even do anything, Logan was gone.

T

"One ticket for the next train out please?" I asked the teller. She obliged, handing me a ticket in exchange for my money.

I let out a sigh as I looked around me. There were so many people here, and they were all going somewhere. I watched as a lady got up from a bench with her daughter, walking away toward a train that had just arrived. Her little girl left her teddy bear behind without realizing it.

"Ma'am," I called, trying to get her attention. She didn't hear me as I called for her. I looked down at the little brown bear, before looking over at the train that they had entered. It was my train.

T

Logan sped down the road, the train station in view. He hoped that he would get to her before her train left. Once he got inside, he looked around, but there was no sight of her. So, he made his way to one of the ticket windows. He asked the lady if she had seen anyone matching Elaine's description, and was pleased when she said yes, pointing him in the direction of her train.

T

"Um, excuse me Ma'am?"

The lady turned around upon hearing my voice. She raised an eyebrow in question as she looked at me.

"I think you forgot this," I said, holding the bear. The little girl burst out with joy upon seeing it.

"Teddy!" she cried, shooting out of her seat.

I smiled as I knelt down before her, holding the bear out to her. She took it gratefully.

"Now, say thank you, Emma," the woman insisted.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around me in a hug.

I froze upon feeling her small arms around me. A child was actually hugging me, a complete stranger at that. She smiled at me as she let go, hopping back up into her seat. I nodded my head, before going and sitting a few seats back near the end.

I sat next to the window, closing my eyes as I brought my knees to my chest. A few minutes later, I felt the seat shift.

"This seat taken?"

"Logan…?" He smiled at me a bit as I sat there.

"So, why ya runnin'?" he asked, pushing the hood of my jacket off of my head. When I didn't answer, he decided to take a different approach. "You know…running's not everything kid," he said.

"Yeah…but it's the only thing I'm good at," I whispered.

"Bull. Everyone's good at something," he pushed, inconspicuously resting his arm behind me on the seat. "Personally, I like being a pain in Scott's ass," he joked as he wrapped his arm around my neck tightly, giving me a noogie. I laughed as I tried to push him off.

"Yeah, and mine too," I said, pushing against him. He just chuckled, before letting go of me and sitting back in his seat.

"So, feel like going back now or should we see where this train takes us?" he asked.

I looked at him for a moment, thinking over my options.

"Let's go back," I said, standing up with him.

"Good, cuz I really didn't feel like having to drag your but back there," he said with a grin.

"Hey!" I huffed, shoving him towards the door. He didn't care though.

"Well, what's life without any fun?"

That's it. He's had it. With that, I chased him off the train and outside into the open air. I felt a lot better not being in a crowded area anymore. Being around so many people at once makes me highly uncomfortable.

"You ready kid?" Logan asked as he held me by the back of my shirt. I just groaned.

"Yes! Now, will you put me down?" I yelled, throwing my arms around. A moment later, he dropped me on the ground with a thud. "Ow…" I glared at him, only receiving an innocent grin in return.

"Now, put this on," he ordered as he pushed a helmet into my hands. My eyes widened in fright.

"Oh no…you've GOT to be kidding me?" I exclaimed. I didn't realize that he had ridden here on the back of a motorcycle.

"Not scared are ya?" he laughed, throwing his leg over the seat, and mounting it. He started up the engine, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

I just turned my head away from him, before placing the helmet on my head.

"You wish," I muttered, getting on behind him. I caught the sight of a smirk as he revved the engine.

"I suggest you hold on," he warned, before taking off. The moment that thing was in motion, my arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, clinging to him for dear life as he sped down the road at high speed.

As if my fears weren't bad enough, about half way back, we heard a loud roar. The sound of a tree being unearthed soon followed, and before we knew it, one was crashing and landing in front of us.

"Hang on!" Logan yelled, but it did little good as I went flying to the ground with a scream.

I swear, I am so thankful for helmets because my head was the first thing to hit the ground. The pavement sent a wave of pain through my body and head, causing my world to spin and rush out of control. I couldn't even see straight as I lay there, staring through the cracked visor of my helmet.

"Hey kid, you alright?" Logan called, but I didn't answer him. In fact, I couldn't answer him.

I didn't know if anything was broken or not, the only thing that I did know was that my head was throbbing.

"Hey kid, can you hear me?" he asked, kneeling down in front of me and flipping the visor up. He could see my unfocused eyes as he stared at me, guilt written all over his face. "Sabertooth!" he cried out in anger. It was obvious that he was furious and the beast seemed to relish that fact.

"Such a weak frail," Sabertooth growled, circling around us.

I couldn't really see him as I lay there, trying to will away the blurriness of my eyes. From what I could tell, he was a large man, taller than Logan actually. He also had a long mane of untamed hair that rolled past his shoulders. What seemed to be an animal pelt was wrapped around his shoulders.

"Your fights with me, leave her out of this," Logan growled, trying to block me from the beasts view by standing in front of me. It did him little good though, since the man continued circling around us, drawing ever closer to us.

"So weak…" Sabertooth breathed, kicking dirt and rocks up in my face.

I let out a groan as I tried to move, but I only caused myself pain. I'll be surprised if after all of this, nothing is broken.

I watched as the man crouched down on all fours like an animal, looking ready to pounce at any given moment. To say that I was frightened would be an understatement. I was like a bird with a broken wing, while he was the quick, cunning cat that wanted to catch me in his paws and eat me. The sad thing is that the bird would have at least had a chance, while I was basically backed into a corner with no escape.

"I wanna…go…home," I whispered quietly, trying to keep my eyes open.

"Hey kid, don't fall asleep on me," Logan said, trying to get my attention as he glared down Sabertooth. I didn't really hear him though as the beasts gaze remained locked on mine. I barely caught the gleam in the man's eyes as my unsteady breathing gave away my weakness and vulnerability.

"Wan…go…home…" I murmured, unable to keep my eyes open, my body slowly trying to close down.

"Elaine!" Logan shouted, my eyes pulling back open a bit.

"Why don't we play a little game of…cat and mouse?" Sabertooth suggested, his eyes traveling from Logan, then back down to me. The predator vs. it's prey. This was not a good position for me to be in. That thought was soon proven as he lunged forward, barreling straight into Logan, knocking him off his feet. I could do nothing but lay there as Logan was thrown into a tree yards away.

"Hello…frail," he purred, coming to hover over me. He gazed down at me with a murderous look in his eyes, scaring the crap out of me. I whimpered when he tried to pick me up, grabbing hold of my forearm in an iron grip.

As usual, when I'm scared or something happens, my powers act up. Within moments, he was dropping me back onto the ground, letting out a murderous cry as I set his arm aflame, burning it. Like Logan, I watched as his skin grew back, repairing and healing itself. Then, out of rage, he threw me across the ground.

I could feel tears falling from my eyes as I lay there, my body twisted uncomfortably from the way I landed. Now, something might possibly be broken. I then watched as he slowly made his way over to Logan, cracking his neck and knuckles as he got closer. I couldn't let him hurt Logan…

_Please…for once in my life…work when I need you… _That's what I prayed in my head as I reluctantly pulled my hand up, gazing in Sabertooth's direction. I drew in a shaky breath, willing my powers to work.

"Please…" I whispered, tears slowly falling from my eyes soaking the ground.

_Work!_ I shouted desperately in my mind, the word seeming to echo all around me as explosions and fire suddenly emerged.

An explosion separated Logan and Sabertooth, before flames flew at the beast, making him growl in rage. He stood there, fighting at the flames as Logan got to his feet, slowly backing away and coming towards me.

"Hey…you…okay kid?" he asked hesitantly, covering me as a large explosion went off, sending debris everywhere.

My breath was heavy and tired, body sore and bruised, skull pounding to no end. I couldn't move anymore, my arm finally falling flat on the ground, and my eyes slowly fluttering closed. I had reached my limit and was completely drained. There was absolutely nothing left that I could do…nothing but let the tempting darkness take over me.

**Ok everyone, I hope you liked this chapter. For those of you that have been desperately waiting for Gambit, I'll try to squeeze him into the next chapter. Please REVIEW? I want to know what everyone thinks. Constructive feedback is always good when it comes to my stories and helps me make them better. So please don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts and opinions? I want to know everyone's feelings on this story. Thanks everybody. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 6**

The following day, everyone was in the Professor's office, Logan, Scott, Storm, Hank, and Kurt. They were all there upon Charles request.

"Due to recent events, I've decided to place a word of caution on everyone here. Magneto is likely planning on trying to get Elaine to join him. I believe that's why Sabertooth was sent out yesterday, in an attempt to grab her from our hands," Charles explain, pausing for a moment to look around the room at everyone. "She is scared and vulnerable at the moment. One wrong move could send her over the edge again and make her run. We need to give her a reason to stay, to feel safe, and feel like she has somewhere that she belongs. We need to make her feel like family," he said, grabbing mostly everyone's attention.

"But Professor, how are ve to do this? I agree she must feel comfortable, but how are ve to do this on our own?" Kurt asked, looking around the room at everyone else. His tail flicked behind him tensely as he waited for a response.

"We're not Kurt. I've already called in a favor, an old friend of ours from Louisiana," Charles said, catching the look of distaste on Logan's face. "Is there a problem Logan?"

"Yeah there's a problem. You can't seriously be calling in the Cajun?"

"Despite what your feelings may be toward him, I have. The two of you are going to have to learn to get along Logan, whether you like it or not. For Elaine's sake, we _must_ do this," Charles said.

"But why him?" Logan groaned. Scott glared at him for this.

"Logan…Elaine needs something familiar, someone that she can relate to, someone that can understand what she's going through. Gambit's powers are more similar to hers than anyone else's. She _needs_ that familiarity to put her at ease Logan," the Professor explained. Logan just grunted, before walking out of the room.

"Whatever," he muttered, not really caring to argue anymore.

Once Logan left, the Professor turned to Scott.

"Scott, would you mind preparing a room for Gambit? Preferably, one close to Elaine's if possible. He should be arriving late this evening," he said.

"Of course Professor, I'll get started right away," he replied, briskly walking out of the room.

Charles then turned to the remaining three that were still in the room.

"Hank, if you and Storm wouldn't mind checking in on Elaine, I'd like to have a word with Kurt," he said, hinting faintly on the privacy.

T

Later that evening, a man arrived at the mansion, wearing a hat and long brown trench coat. He had kind of medium brown hair, a bit lighter than Logan's, and it was just long enough to place in a small pony tail if need be. The man in question was met at the front door by Professor Charles Xavier.

"Ah, Gambit, good to see you again," he greeted, ushering the man inside the warmth of the mansion.

Gambit stretched his back when he got inside, stiff from the long train ride up.

"You look tired, perhaps some sleep Gambit?" the Professor suggested. Gambit nodded his head.

"Gambit think sleep be good tonight," he agreed, letting the man show him to his room. "So, when Gambit get to meet le petite cheri?" he inquired, trying to plan a few things out.

"Tomorrow perhaps, but for now, rest my friend," he pressed lightly, wheeling off down the hall, and leaving Gambit to his room.

Just as Gambit was about to lie down and go to sleep, he heard a knock at his door.

"Gambit here," he chuckled, placing his hands behind his head. His eyes fell on Logan.

"Well, if it isn't the Ragin' Cajun himself," Logan spoke roughly, leaning against the door.

"What you want wolf man?" Gambit asked, closing his eyes.

"Just came to remind ya to behave," he grunted angrily.

"What's your problem?" Gambit shot at him.

"Professor says we gotta play _nice_ with each other," Logan spat. Gambit just groaned upon hearing this. Being civil with Logan was like trying to potty train a two year old. You can't do it.

"D'en (then) be _nice_ an' leave Gambit ta sleep," he taunted, wanting him out of his room. Logan just flipped him the bird with his claws, slamming the door behind him, the frame rattling a bit. "Tomorrow gonna be a long day," he muttered to himself as he closed his eyes, soon falling asleep.

T

The next morning, Gambit was rudely awakened by the banging of pots and pans out side of his door. The sound was so loud, it startled him, causing him to accidentally hit his head on the headboard of the bed.

"Is too early for d'is," he groaned, rubbing the back of his head and face. Unfortunately, Gambit knew exactly _who_ it was. Mr. Let's-play-nice-and-fake-it. "Gambit up, Gambit up!" he yelled, throwing his hands up into the air. The man was already being a pain in the butt and Gambit hadn't even had time to do anything yet. The banging only stopped when Gambit went to his door and opened it. Logan stood shinning a flashlight straight in the Cajun's face, blinding him for a moment, before he decided to shield his eyes.

"Rise and shine Sunshine," Logan greeted.

"Can Gambit least get dressed before we start d'is?"

Logan looked at the Cajun for a moment, finding him only in a pair of black slacks from the night before. He was also accompanied by a messy head of hair. This nearly made him laugh.

"Just don't take too long primping," he chuckled, before leaving Gambit to his morning routine.

Gambit made good on his time as he put on his favorite lavender button up shirt. He looked in mirror as he fixed the collar and straightened the sleeve. He grinned upon combing his hair.

"Gambit look good," he laughed, before placing his boots on, and leaving his room. He figured he wouldn't need his coat, so he left it laying on the chair by the desk, making sure to place a full deck of cards in his back pocket.

When Gambit got downstairs to the cafeteria, he found Logan sitting in the corner with a young girl. They were talking, but barely. As he got closer, he noticed that she didn't look too good. The poor girl had a bandage wrapped around her head, along with her left hand and arm. She looked terrible, well not terrible, she was beautiful, but she looked like a wreck. Her red streaked hair was a bit matted in the back and she looked at bit pale, but other than that, she was beautiful. He just couldn't tell what color her eyes were from where he was standing.

"Gambit," a voice called from his right. Turning around, he found the Professor coming up beside him. "I'm glad to see you up and awake, I was afraid you might miss lunch," he said.

"Lunch?" Gambit's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Yes, it's almost 1 in the afternoon," Charles explained.

"Damn him," he muttered under his breath.

Both Gambit and Charles watched as Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops, went over to the girl. He said something to her and she pushed her untouched tray of food away, before getting up and leaving. Logan looked like he was going to punch the guys as she walked away outside into the courtyard.

"He never was good with words," the Professor sighed. "She's only been awake for maybe a couple hours and he already ruined her day."

"So…d'is be petite cheri?" Gambit questioned, shifting his weight onto his other foot.

"Yes, that was Elaine"

That was all Gambit needed to hear as he walked off in the direction Elaine had gone. He swiped an apple from someone's tray as he left.

T

I growled a bit as I kicked pebbles with my feet. Scott's words kept repeating in my head.

"_So, I hear you finally decided to get yourself under control"_

It irritated me to no end. I just woke up and he was already on my case. I mean, can't anyone EVER give me a break? I was starting to wonder if I should have agreed with Logan, and not just continued to run away. By now, I could have been long gone on that train. I sighed as I slid my back down one of the walls, feeling the roughness of it scrape against my still sore back. It hurt even as I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my head in my arms. I sat there for a few minutes, everything around me was mainly quiet, save for the chirping of the birds. When I brought my head up a bit, I noticed a playing card on the ground in front of me. I picked it up in my hand, inspecting it curiously. Where did it come from?

"Bonjour, Cheri" I jumped upon hearing the voice, knocking my head into the wall painfully.

I dropped the card as I held my head, groaning in pain.

"Sorry 'bout d'at Cheri, didn' mean ta startle ya," came a thick Cajun accent.

I looked up to see a man sitting above me on the ledge, his feet dangling down near my head.

"W-who are you?" I asked, gazing up at him from my spot on the ground.

"Name's Remy, Remy LeBeau, but you can call me Gambit cheri," he said, introducing himself.

I have to admit, he was handsome to say the least, but still…what really caught my attention were his eyes. His eyes were red and black. The iris was ruby, everything else was black. They're kind of like mine, but mine can pass off as normal as long as you're not paying that much attention to them. I have the white in my eyes, the iris itself is red and black.

"Min' tellin' ol' Remy yours?" he asked, smiling at me.

"Elaine…Elaine Conners," I said, looking up at him with slight curiosity in my eyes. "Why are you talking to me anyway?"

"Well, ya seem lonely cheri. No one should be alone," he told me, making my eyes water a bit.

I looked away, brushing my fingers over the card on the ground.

"I'm always alone…" I whispered.

"Gambit fix that one for ya," he said.

I looked at him skeptically.

"People _always_ go away '_Gambit',_" I told him, standing up from my spot on the ground. I happened to find out that that was a big mistake. The moment I stood, I got dizzy. Gambit saw this and immediately sprung to my aid, keeping me steady.

"Maybe you should sit back down cheri," he encouraged, guiding me back down to the ground, where he sat down be me. At that moment, my stomach growled. I looked down in embarrassment away from Gambit. He smiled at me though, pulling an apple out from no where, and a pocket knife out of his back pocket.

T

We sat there for a while, not really doing much at all. I keep nibbling on slices of apple that Remy gave me, until he decided to go back inside, and sneak some sandwiches out. I laughed at the goofy look he had on his face upon returning triumphantly with the sandwiches.

"Gambit?"

"Oui, cheri?"

"What…what exactly are your powers?" I asked hesitantly. He grinned at me when I asked him this.

"Why don' I show ya cheri?" he proposed. I nodded my head, wanting to see what he could do.

I watched as he reached into his back pocket, pulling out a deck of cards. He held them out to me, spreading them out.

"Pick a card cheri, any card at all," he said.

I picked one out around the middle. He seemed to smile when he caught a glimpse of it.

"Now, pick one more card cheri," he instructed.

I didn't know why he was having me pick another card, but I listened and went along with it. It was the black 2 of clubs that I picked next.

"Now cheri, feat your eyes on d'is," he said, taking the card and throwing it up into the air. It was glowing even before he let it go, then it exploded in the air like a firework. My eyes immediately went to his, staring at him with a slightly painful look. "What's wrong cheri?" he asked in confusion.

I just looked down at my hands, feeling them grow hot as it spread to my fingers as well. They were glowing red and terribly close to the ground.

"Careful there cheri, that's dangerous," he warned, grabbing hold of my hands. I tried to pull away in fear of hurting him, but he just held onto my hands firmly. "Don' worry cheri, ya can' hurt me with that," he said, trying to reassure me, it didn't work though until he took proper hold of my hands. The moment he did that, it's like everything stopped, my power didn't do a thing except get absorbed.

I didn't hurt him.

I didn't…hurt him…

The moment he let go though and my fingertips touched the ground, there was a small explosion, sending me onto my back. I groaned as I laid there.

"Cheri, cheri you alright?" he asked, a bit worried as he knelt over me.

I just stared back up at him, not really sure what to do.

"My head hurts…" I muttered so he could hear me.

"Maybe it'd be better if we wen' inside cheri?" he suggested, but I shook my head.

"I don't' wanna go back in there…" I told him, sitting up painfully, my back groaning in protest. I wanted to stay away from everyone else right now, Gambit was currently my only exception at the moment.

He looked at me for a moment, before standing up.

"Gambit be right back cheri," he said, quickly running off and inside the mansion.

I sighed quietly, watching him leave. He probably wouldn't come back…

"Hey! Conners!" my eyes shot open, wide with fear at the voice. Slick. "I hear they dragged you back in pieces, and that you finally decided to get your act together," he said, taunting me with that sneer of his.

"Leave me alone Slick," I warned, scooting away from him, my back still groaning in pain. He just kept coming closer until he was standing in front of me, taking his foot and pushing against my arm harshly. I bit my lower lip, trying to hold in a cry of pain. He caught on though, pushing me onto my back. This time I let out a yowl in pain.

"If I had to guess…I'd say you still don't have control," he said, growling at me a bit, a smirk plastered on his face though as he put pressure on my stomach with his foot.

I cried out at the pressure of his foot crushing into my stomach, pressing my back into the ground. It hurt…BAD. I groaned when he was pulled off of me and thrown to the ground, my eyes traveling up to find Gambit standing there with an angry look on his face. He had a long coat hanging folded on his arm, and a boa staff in his other hand.

"Stay off o' cheri," he demanded, pointing the tip of his staff at the boy. Slick just glared at him, getting up, and spitting at me. Now, THAT pissed Remy off to no end. A moment later, he spun his staff around and knocked Slick hard in the gut with it, sending him to his knees.

"Bastard," he growled, glaring at Gambit.

Gambit pulled a card out of his coat, charging it.

"Don' make me use d'is," he warned, ready to throw it at him at any moment. The boy quickly got up and ran, not wanting to get hit again. I just lay there looking up at Gambit with pain stricken eyes.

Gambit was reluctant in lowering his arm, taking back the charge, and placing the card back in his pocket.

"You alright cheri?" he asked, kneeling down beside me, placing his coat and staff on the ground.

"I hurt," I whined, holding out my hand, and letting him pull me into a sitting position. I clutched my stomach, leaning forward a bit. Man did that hurt. I watched as he stood up for a moment, throwing his coat on, then holding out his hand.

"Come on cheri, Gambit'll take ya somewhere nice," he smiled.

I looked at him for a moment, before taking his hand. I bit my lower lips when he pulled me up into his arms, allowing me to place my arm around his neck as he carried me, placing his staff on his back.

"Hey, Remy, where are we going?"

**I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter? I have a favor to ask though. I need help coming up with a code name for Elaine. I was thinking maybe Fire Cracker or Nova, but I don't know. I want something better than that, but I can't think of anything else. Or if any of you like either of those names PLEASE let me know. I'm going to need a code name for her soon so please help me? I'm stuck. Well, Gambit's finally here. I hope I did well when it comes to his accent. Please REVIEW? I NEED feedback from everyone. I want to also thank those that have been sending me reviews. They've been very helpful. Remember, I need names or feedback on names PLEASE? I'm desperate. Thank you everyone! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 7**

I went bug eyed when we got into the garage. He was heading over to the motorcycles.

"Uh, Remy?" I called, catching his attention.

"Oui, cheri?"

"Um…we're not going to ride on one of those…are we?" I asked a bit shaken up as I looked at them.

"Why? You not like d'em much?" he asked as he rose a curious eyebrow at me.

I shook my head no, not wanting to ride on one of them after what happened the other day. He seemed to think for a moment, before grinning and turning to the cars. His eyes spotted a nice RED car, that just so happened to belong to Scott.

"Remy?" I asked warily.

"Oui, cheri?" his eyes were glued to the shiny, well waxed vehicle.

"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

"An' what would d'at be cheri?" he asked as he walked closer to the car, me still in his strong arms.

T

"Gambit, slow down!" I yelled as he continued to drive at high speed down the curving road. "If you wreck this car, Scott will KILL you!" I informed him. He just gave me a smile and laughed.

"I t'inks he deserves it after what he did to you earlier," he told me, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Earlier…you mean you saw that?" I asked quietly, a little bit sad, a little bit embarrassed.

"Oui, cheri, Gambit see everyt'ing," he admitted.

I sighed quietly, though I was still surprised that he noticed or even cared enough to pay attention to it. Then, I realized that he came outside shortly after what Scott had done, which means that he came out…for me.

"Don' worry though cheri, I take care o' ya," he assured me, patting my leg lightly with his hand.

This was kind of embarrassing and new for me; I really didn't know what to do or how to react. Therefore, I just sat there in my seat, the seat belt keeping me in place as I looked out around the scenery. My hair was flipping all over the place as we drove, since there was no top on the car. I glanced over at Gambit to see his hair flying up and behind him as well. He was definitely having a good time right now.

"Hey…Remy?" I looked over in his direction when I spoke.

"Cheri?"

"Oui, Remy?" I replied, smiling at him a bit. He did the same and then laughed.

"Why you keep callin' Remy? I Gambit too," he asked as he smiled over at me. I just shrugged my shoulders.

"I like Remy," I said, smiling at him before gazing back out at the land.

"You know cheri, you somet'ing else," he laughed.

T

I looked around once Gambit pulled into a parking spot. We were in the park a little ways from the school, but still far away enough that I wouldn't have to deal with anyone.

"Remy, why the park?" I asked curiously.

"Cuz, is quiet here cheri. Ain't that what you want?" he held a questionable look upon his face.

I nodded hesitantly, not expecting this from him or anyone else for that matter. I didn't wait for him to get out of the car, before getting out myself and walking away somewhere.

"Hey, cheri, wait for Gambit. Wait for Remy!" he shouted, getting out of the car, and running after me. "Cheri, wait!" he called out to me.

I sighed as I turned to look at him, waiting for him, and allowing him to catch up. He was panting a bit, placing his hands on his knees.

"Man you're fast cheri," he breathed, looking up at me.

"No I'm not…"

"Cheri, look around you," he said, gesturing with his arms and hands. I did so, and noticed I was already a good ways into the park. I nearly fell down in shock.

"W-what…what's happening to me…" I whispered as my eyes started to water, a few tears spilling from my dark eyes. I fell to my knees and started crying. Gambit soon followed beside me, carefully placing an arm around my shoulders, and pulling me near.

"Shh…it alright cheri. It be alright," he tried, trying to comfort me as I cried.

"Why…why can't I…just be…n-normal," I choked out, letting my head fall against him, tears spilling onto his silky shirt.

He wrapped his other arm around me, holding me close, and stroking the back of my head. I could feel my hands tingling. I looked down at them, seeing the glowing red of my fingertips.

"G-Gambit," I choked out, looking down at my hands. His eyes followed, landing on them as well. He quickly grabbed my hands with his left one, holding them in his hand. I could feel my power going into him as we sat there. I sat there until it finally stopped, my power no longer brimming to the edge.

"See cheri? Gambit take care o' ya," he said, gently letting go of my hands.

"How…how do you do that?" I asked warily. He just looked at me, a faint smile pulling at his lips.

"I be a lot more powerful d'an you t'ink cheri," he said, placing his hand on my cheek.

I felt my face heat up as I pulled away a bit. I wasn't used to this. I was uncomfortable with this much physical contact. He seemed to notice this, and let his hand fall.

"Come on, cheri, why don' we go for a walk?" he proposed.

I nodded my head, allowing him to help me stand up. He offered me his arm, but I shook my head no, so he raised his hands in defeat.

"Alright, cheri, alright. I gets it, Gambit don' want no trouble," he said, chuckling as he placed his hands behind his head.

T

We just walked around for a while, talking a little bit, but mainly walking. I asked him a question every now and then, he would answer, and then he would ask me something. When he asked me about my parents though, I turned away, not wanting to talk about it.

"What wrong cheri?" his brows were furrowed with confusion once again.

"I…don't wanna talk about it," I whispered, walking ahead a bit further. We had walked through the whole park, I could see the car in my line of sight. Wanting to get away from the conversation, I ran toward it, jumping into my seat.

"Come on, cheri, Gambit don' mean no harm in it," he tried, leaning in on the car door on my side. I just ignored him, hiding my face in my arms. "I'm sorry cheri"

"Just…let's get going Gambit," I whispered, lifting my head up to glance at him. The moment he saw the look in my eyes, he nodded his head, and got in the car. He wasn't going to stand there any longer with such a look on my face. A look of deep sadness and guilt.

"You know cheri…"

"Just drive Gambit…please?" I asked quietly. I could hear him sigh, before he started up the car, carefully pulling out of his spot. After a moment or so, I spoke again. "I'm sorry Remy…I just…" I didn't really know what to tell him.

"Is alright cheri, I understand, Gambit shouldn' have asked," he said slowly, glancing at me every now and then, still keeping his eyes on the road.

"I'm sorry Remy," I whispered. He just gave me a weak smile and patted my leg.

"Don' worry 'bout apologizin' cheri, is fine," he reassured me.

All I could do was nod my head, turning my gaze to the world around me. I noticed though, that we weren't moving nearly as fast as earlier. He was trying to take his time in getting back. I sighed quietly in realizing this.

"Remy," I started, turning toward him, "if I tell you part of it…can we…get back quicker? I don't feel well and I want to lie down," I explained. He nodded his head.

"Sure cheri, I t'inks Gambit can do that," he said.

"I can't really say much right now Remy, but…I don't…have parents anymore…" I whispered.

"Why not cheri?" he asked carefully.

"Because Remy…" I hesitated for a moment, trying to block the oncoming tears, "I'm the reason…they're dead." After that, I wouldn't say another word about it, and he knew this.

"I sorry cheri…" he whispered, speeding up a bit more, "I didn' know," he said.

That was the first time that he didn't use his name when talking. I kind of found it amusing, but only slightly at the moment. I shook my head though.

"It's…not your fault Remy… Heck, you're the first person I've ever told about any of this," I explained. He was shocked upon hearing this. Hearing that he was the very first person to know about this.

"You mean you never tol' anyone 'bout d'is before Remy?" he asked curiously.

I shook my head, giving him the answer that he needed.

"Well, Gambit be honored d'en cheri," he exclaimed, a smile on his face as he sped up, quickly flying down the road.

"Remy!" I screamed, holding onto the seat for dear life, even with my seat belt buckled. He just laughed and continued speeding down the road.

T

When we got back, I nearly puked. I also noticed Scott walking into the garage and went over to him, shoving him hard.

"Never! And I mean never! Leave one of your cars where he can see it again!" I shouted, pointing to Gambit. Scott just raised an eye brow at me, glancing over a Gambit, and then his car. My eyes went wide as I covered my mouth and ran out of the garage, throwing up when I got to the grass.

"Hey, what's wrong cheri?" Gambit asked as he hopped out of Scott's car. Scott glared at him, already having enough issues when Logan decides he wants to use his cars.

"You hot wired my car, didn't you?" Scott asked with a glare on his face as he approached Gambit.

"Well, Gambit couldn't find the keys, had no other choice," he explained as he laughed. Scott's hands balled up into fists as Gambit laughed.

"And you let him do it too, didn't you?" he turned to me, receiving a glare from me.

"Okay, a girl is trying not to puke her guts out, and you're already all over me. You know, Logan's right, you are a dick," I said, before hurling again. I groaned distastefully at the acidic taste in my mouth. Gambit laughed at how I insulted Scott. "And as far as you go Gambit, I think I'll stick with Logan, before ever letting you drive me again," I stated, whipping my mouth on my sleeve as I went inside. I felt so sick to my stomach right now. Even though riding with Logan on a motorcycle scared the crap out of me, I was definitely going to stick with him next time.

Speaking of Logan, he was coming down the hall in front of me.

I ran forward and hugged the gruff man, hugging him tightly. He seemed surprised, but hugged back nonetheless.

"Logan, PLEASE, never let Remy drive?" I pleaded. He gave me a strange look.

"What'd the Cajun do this time?" he asked.

I groaned before answering him, the acidic taste still in my mouth.

"Let's just say I've already puked my guts up about 3 times already," I told him, feeling sick just thinking about it.

He growled upon hearing this, but I just grabbed his arm.

"Just…come with me to the kitchen, please? I need something to get the taste out of my mouth…and…I don't wanna be alone…" I whispered. This seemed to grab his attention. So, he nodded his head and threw his arm over my shoulders, walking down the hall with me.

"Alright squirt, I think I can do that," he said.

"Oh yeah, you were right," I told him.

"About what?"

"Scott's a dick," I stated. He just laughed heavily amused at this.

**Ok, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I know that I did, especially at the end. :) A few people have told me that they like the name Nova, so I think I'm going to go with that one. Please remember to REVIEW, okay? I'd love to hear what you thought about this chapter and how amusing it may be to some of you. Once again, thanks for reading. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 8**

The next couple of days flew by quickly. During that time, I mainly spent most of my time with Logan and Kurt. Although, I DID get to see Logan and Remy go at it once, but it was only for a couple of minutes. It would have been interesting to watch though, but Scott of all people broke it up before they could do anything. Although this time, was not one such time that Scott was going to brake it up.

At the moment, we were all outside, Kurt, Logan, Gambit, and me. We were in an open area out in the courtyards away from everyone else. Logan and Gambit stood there, staring each other down. Gambit had his long coat on, and his bo staff in his hand. Logan on the other hand, had his claws out ready to strike.

"You ready to get your butt kicked Cajun?" Logan asked.

"I don' know, shouldn' you be askin' yourself that?" Gambit countered, laughing at him. Logan just growled in annoyance.

"Alright bub, let's have at it," Logan said, running forward at Gambit. Gambit just leapt out of the way of Logan's claws.

"Come on Wolverine, you can do better d'an that," Gambit teased, pulling out one of his cards and throwing it at him. It exploded in his face, sending him flying back.

"Logan!" I shouted, getting ready to run for him, but Kurt held me back with his tail.

"Do not vorry fraulein, he vill be fine," Kurt reassured me, and he was right. Moments later, Logan was standing back up, cracking his neck. He looked over at me and winked, letting me know not to worry. I felt so embarrassed because I keep forgetting about his ability to heal.

"Have ya had enough yet Wolverine?" Gambit asked after about 10 minutes of 'playing', only to be met with an angry fist in his gut. He doubled over in pain, gasping for air.

"Have ya had enough yet Cajun?" Logan asked as he laughed. Gambit didn't like this much. He quickly grabbed his bo staff and smacked Logan in the head with it. Logan fell back a bit, holding head for a moment. As a result of Remy's choice of action, he didn't have his bo staff for much longer, and it went sailing through the air in my direction. Seeing this, I got up and ran, catching it since I knew that Gambit would not want his beloved bo staff to be damaged.

"Thanks cheri," he called. I just nodded, giving him a small smile and went back over beside Kurt.

Kurt just sat there, watching everything, and quietly flicking me with his tail. He continued doing this for a good 5 minutes.

"Stop that," I said, swatting at it. He smiled at me with his pointed teeth, grinning a bit. I shoved him, only to be caught by his tail. "Hey, let go Kurt!" I cried, laughing.

Logan and Gambit watched this for a few minutes, finding it rather entertaining. It allowed them a short break, although, Remy seemed to be the one in most need of it.

"Logan!" Kurt called out, "Vould you like to help?" Kurt asked, looking down at me.

My eyes went wide.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" I yelled, knowing what he was planning. To my dismay, Logan looked over at me with a smirk on his face. "Logan, don't you DARE!" I shouted, watching him come closer as Kurt held my wrists with his tail. I pulled, and pulled, but it didn't do any good. "R-Remy! Help!?" I cried as Logan got closer to me, nearly cornering me against Kurt.

Before I knew it, Logan and Kurt were tickling me relentlessly.

"S-stop!" I sputtered, squirming immensely. They didn't stop though. They continued to tickle me, even when it was getting hard to breathe. When it got to that point, I reached my hand out toward Gambit, eyes pleading for help. It was a look that Gambit couldn't miss, and so he ran over quickly, grabbing his bo staff, and hit them both in the back of the head making them release me.

"Cheri's gotta breathe," he stated, getting them to stop. They stood there watching as I gasped for air, filling my lungs with its cooling touch. I was so happy to finally have a proper amount of air going down my throat. All I could do was pant as I lay there on the ground, my hands glowing a bit. Kurt took a step back upon seeing this, not wanting to get hurt, but Gambit on the other hand, he took a step forward.

"Vhat are you doing?" Kurt asked, trying to pull him away, but Gambit wouldn't have that.

"Let me go," he demanded, pulling away from him.

Logan and Kurt were shocked as they watched him do what I had seen him do a handful of times already. He absorbed my power into his as he took my hands. This was beginning to become a routine between the two of us it seemed.

"What are you doing Cajun?" Logan growled, pulling him away from me.

"Hey, get off," Gambit told him, pulling away from him roughly. "All I do is help her," he said, giving Logan a bit of a hard look.

They watched as I pushed myself up into a sitting position, holding my head for a moment.

"You alright cheri?" Gambit asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm fine Remy, just a little headache," I reassured him. Logan gave me a strange look when I used Gambit's real name, so I explained. "I call him by his name, just like I do you and Kurt, Logan," I said, looking at everyone. I saw the look that Gambit gave Logan, so I decided to stop things where they were. "Remy," I warned, "Stop it," I said.

"Aw…cheri," he pouted like a child. I nearly laughed if not for my headache.

"Don't cheri me," I said, lifting my finger, "Behave," I ordered.

"Yeah, behave," Logan said, trying to hide the grin on his face. Gambit turned on him, bringing his bo staff out.

"Gambit, stop it!" I commanded, nearly faltering when I stood up, I fell against Gambit. Though startled at having me suddenly fall against him, he caught me and held me up.

"You ain't alright cheri," Gambit said, catching me in my lie. I sighed quietly, admitting defeat.

"Look…I've been like this since the other day, okay? Can we just drop it?" I asked, trying to stand on my own, but to no avail. He had to catch me again, before I could hit the ground, his bo staff in front of me like a bar, helping keep me up. It gave me something to hold onto as I leaned against him tiredly.

"That's it, Gambit takin' you inside to see Hank and the Professor," he said, picking me up in one single fluid motion. I gave out a startled yelp when he did this, my arms going around his neck instinctively. "Don' worry cheri, I won' drop ya," he reassured me, heading back to the mansion with the others in toe.

"Remy, can you please put me down? This is embarrassing," I whined, looking around as we went down the hall.

"Sorry, no can do cheri," he said, continuing to carry me in his arms as we went.

I swear, I was so embarrassed as we walked past students, I had to hide my face in the collar of his coat. I've never had to have anyone actually carry me before, and it was embarrassing, especially since Gambit was the one doing it. It was even worse though when we ran into Scott.

"What's this, she sick or something? Why is her face all red?" Scott asked, trying to butt his nose into things.

"Outta the way Cyclops," Gambit insisted, making to go around him.

"You know, you guys should really learn to behave," Scott said, "You're setting a bad example for the other students."

Oh Lord have mercy, kill me now. I mean seriously, how retarded and rude can you get? To my utter amusement though, Logan flipped him the bird, before grabbing hold of him by his shirt and shoving him out of the way. We left Scott standing there dumb struck as we went.

"Now, which one is it again?" Gambit asked mainly to himself, trying to find the elevator.

"Over here numb skull," Logan groaned as he opened the elevator, stepping aside to let Gambit enter.

Gambit muttered a few words under his breath, and I flicked him in the ear for it. I could hear Logan suppressing a laugh when he saw this, I ignored it though, and rested my head against Gambit's shoulder. Even though I don't want to admit it, being in Remy's arms is actually kind of comfortable, plus he's warm. Unfortunately, like usual, I also have the worst luck ever.

"Ah, Professor, we were just gonna go lookin' for you in a few minutes," Remy said as he spyied the Professor wheeling out of one of the rooms. He gave Gambit a curious look when he saw him holding me.

"And what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.

"Well…" Gambit started as he looked down at me, "Don' really know to be honest," he said.

"Let's take a look then," Charles said, moving down toward the medical room, everyone following behind him.

When we got inside, Gambit placed me down on the table. I sat there for a moment, just simply holding my head.

"Elaine, could you please lay down for me dear?" the Professor asked.

I nodded my head, moving to lay down on the table. Once I was comfortable, he came behind me.

"Now, I want you to try and relax, alright Elaine?"

"Okay," I whispered, closing my eyes. I tried my best to relax, though it was a bit hard with my headache, not to mention everyone else in the room watching me. I could feel him going through my mind, sifting through memories as he set there, hands hovering on either side of my head. At some point or another, the thought of my parents came to mind, causing my eyes to water, and my hand to ball up. I was so tempted to pull away, but I remained still. After a few more minutes, he finally pulled away.

"I can only assume that in part, it's a result of your powers developing and manifesting further. They are evolving as you improve your control over them. Also…" he paused, turning to look at Logan and Gambit, "your little charades don't help matters," he pointed out.

I watched as Gambit shifted uncomfortably, his gaze landing on me for a moment, before traveling elsewhere.

"My advice is that you lay down and rest. Although, I would like you to see Hank some time next week, so that he can have a once over, just to be safe," Charles said. He then turned to Kurt. "Kurt, would you mind taking her to her room please? I need to have a talk with Logan and Gambit."

"Of course Professor."

And with that, we were off.

**I hope that everyone liked this chapter. I hope I've been able to keep it in the same quality as I have with the others? Things should start getting more interesting in the next few chapters. Please REVIEW? I'd like to see what everyone thinks of this chapter and how I'm doing with writing them. So, if you have any comments at all, please don't be hesitant to tell me. Thanks everyone. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 9**

_Images and shapes surrounded me in the dark, chasing me through the dark abyss. I was running again, but I couldn't see what I was running from. Everything was black a pitch, no light anywhere to guide my way in this hellish place. Although, through the blackness, I could hear the sound of streaming water._

_Having no other alternatives, I decided to follow the sound. Eventually, I came upon the small stream. It was bright, glowing a hue of brilliant blues. When I looked down at it, I could see my reflection shinning back at me, though it was a younger me. The one staring back at me was my 12 year old self. As I stared down at myself, I could see my once long brown hair falling over my once hazel eyes. Though, I was no longer that innocent little girl that I once was._

_Instead, I was a powerful, destructive young mutant woman. I was a girl without control._

_The sound of giggling whispered in my ears, the words "Mommy" and "Daddy" coming to my ears._

I shot up in my bed in a cold sweat, my breathing uneasy, and uneven. I needed to be around someone, even if it was currently like 1 o'clock in the morning. I didn't know who, and I really didn't care as long as it was someone. As I got up out of my bed, I stared at myself in the mirror, taking in my reflection. Red eyes, shoulder length dark hair and red streaks, all of this stared back at me. It was almost an eerie feeling to be honest, it was almost hard to recognize myself at times. So as I stood there staring at myself, I debated who to try and wake. Who could I possibly go to at this time of night? There was no way in heck that I was going to try Gambit right now, at least not this time, that was just out of the question. That left only Logan and Kurt, though for some reason, I was drawn to Logan at the moment. I didn't know why though. I guess Kurt would have to wait til next time, then Gambit, if he was lucky.

So, popping my head out of the door, I looked down the hallway, seeing no one around. I sighed quietly as I closed my door behind me, slowly making my way, walking to where I knew Logan's room to be down the hall. Luckily, his room was only a few rooms down. I felt bad when I saw him laying there quietly, asleep from what I could tell. I thought about leaving and just forgetting about it, but the feeling in my chest wouldn't let me. It tightened around my heart painfully, aching for help and reconciliation, even if nothing was done verbally I still needed that feeling.

Not wanting to wake him though, I sat on the floor against the side of his bed, pulling my knees to my chest quietly. My mind continued to run ramped as I set there, not knowing what to do. It wasn't until a few minutes later that I could hear the bed shifting, the sound of him putting weight on his arm, and then following after his voice. I knew he was awake now, but I didn't move from my spot.

"What are you doing in here kid?" he asked, moving to sit up, the springs of the bed creaking a bit as he did so.

Quietly, I peaked my head up a bit to stare at him, trying to get a hold of myself and think properly. I figured it would be best to tell him the truth though.

"I woke up…and can't sleep," I whispered, glancing over at him.

He sat up a bit more, moving his feet over the side of the bed, and coming to sit down beside me on the floor.

"I'm sorry for waking you…" I said quietly. He just shook his head.

"I couldn't sleep anyway. Been laying there for a while before ya came in actually," he explained.

"Oh…" that was really all that I could think to say.

"So, you needed someone to talk to, huh?" I nodded my head slowly to his question.

"I _can_ talk to you right?" I asked, wanting to make sure.

"Of course," he said, gazing down at me.

I sighed quietly and rested my head on top of my knees, looking out at nothing, but the darkness of the room.

"Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever…done anything so bad…that it seems to follow you wherever you go?" I asked quietly, trying to keep my voice from cracking as I spoke.

I watched him go silent for a moment, thinking about different things as he sat there with me.

"What do you mean by bad?" he asked carefully.

I sighed, turning away from him, my eyes looking elsewhere.

"Have you ever…hurt someone that you cared about…and then realized…that you couldn't take it back?" I asked, looking down at my hands. I could feel the heat running through them as we sat there.

"I've done a lot of things that I'm not proud of kid," he explained, "I've even killed people," he told me.

That was my breaking point.

"So have I…" I whispered faintly, trying to keep a grip on my emotions, but it didn't work very well.

Logan thought back to the last time he found me crying, the pieces slowly falling into place. He gave me a sympathetic look, placing his arm around my small shoulders, and pulling me close to him.

"Your parents?" he asked slowly, already knowing the answer before I even nodded my head.

I could feel tears slowly building up as I thought about it. Thinking of the looks upon their faces before they died because of me. I could remember the shock and the fear before they died.

"How long have you been holding this in?" he asked, looking down at me as I rested my head against his shoulder.

"Since I was 12," I whispered, closing my eyes.

Not really sure what to do, he turned to me, a question on his mind.

"You wanna go see if there's some ice cream downstairs?" he asked, a small smirl on his face.

I stared at him for a moment, thinking about it, and for some reason I liked the idea.

"Okay," I said, nodding my head in agreement.

It had been so long since I've had ice cream, I nearly forgot what it tasted like. The mere flavor of chocolate and vanilla ice cream was astronomical in my opinion. The way that it glided down my throat, cooling it, and soothing the onset soreness that had been coming on. It made me happy to say the least. That was a major feat for food to accomplish with me.

Unfortunately, I soon found myself scrapping at the remains of the ice cream in my cup, pouting when it was all gone. Logan would have given me another scoop or two, if it weren't for what time it was. But, I suppose that Logan knows best I guess. Besides, I didn't want to end up with a stomach ache or anything like that.

"Hey Logan?"

"Yeah?" he asked, looking up from what was left of his Dr. Pepper ice cream float. He had his spoon sticking out of the side of his mouth, much like one of his normal cigars. I still don't understand why he smokes those though, even if he has the ability to heal, it's still bad for your health. Plus, the smell BAD! I mean, have you ever been on the receiving end of one of those things? The smoke from it is like toxic gas, putrid and vile in all forms of the word.

"Is ice cream your answer for everything?" I asked his curiously, tilting my head to the side a bit for effect.

"No," he said.

I snapped my fingers in disappointment.

"Rats, and I had really hoped that it was. That would have been awesome," I explained, smiling a bit. He just laughed upon hearing this, a deep chuckle coming from his chest.

"You know kid, you're something else," he said.

"Yeah, I know," I yawned, covering my mouth. Fatigue was starting to take over, but I wasn't quite ready to try and go back to sleep yet. Upon seeing me yawn, he grabbed my cup and placed it in the sink with his. After that, he grabbed me, and tossed me over his shoulder. I laughed as I hung on his shoulder.

"Time for bed kid," he said, moving to leave the kitchen.

"But I'm not tired yet," I whined, causing him to stop and sigh.

"Fine," he said, walking into the other room and tossing me on the couch. He watched as I bounced a few times, before the cushions finally held me still. "We'll just turn the T.V. on and see how long you can stay awake then," he said, smirking at me.

I gave him a tired look when he did this, only imagining what he'd possibly turn on. When he turned on Cartoon Network, I nearly laughed.

"I thought you kids liked this stuff," he said with a slightly cocky tone.

I laughed and shoved him as he went to sit down on the couch, lifting me up a bit by the back of my shirt to sit down. I poked his leg as he sat there, purposely trying to annoy him. He just smirked and propped his feet up on the wooden coffee table, throwing my head up a bit since it was laying on his leg. I was just too lazy to move, so, he was just going to have to deal with it.

"So, I'm a pillow now, am I?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

My response to his humorous question, was me turning and patting his leg a few times, pretending as though I were trying to fluff a pillow. Once I was satisfyied with my 'fluffing' I made myself comfortable, my eyes gazing up at him. We both laughed as a result of this.

"You really are goofy kid," he said, grabbing a hold of me and giving me a noogie.

I squirmed, stifling a laugh as I pushed against him.

"Logan!" I squealed, shoving him. He just laughed, before letting go, allowing my head to fall back onto his strong leg. "You're strange," I yawned, turning a bit. "I still don't get…how you can keep walking around like this…when so many things have…happened," I spoke between yawns.

He looked down at me, thinking about what I said. He thought for a moment before speaking.

"You just have to keep movin' forward kid, that's all you can do," he told me, letting his arms rest on the back of the couch.

"But…it's…hard," I whispered, letting my eyes fall closed with another yawn.

"Life is hard kid…you just have to stand up and live it."

I only heard part of what he said though as my mind wandered off. I never knew that Logan could be such a comfy pillow. As I laid there though, I could feel him moving around a bit, probably trying to get more comfortable. How he could get even remotely comfortable with me laying there like that was beyond me though, but he seemed to manage it somehow as he remained on the couch with me. I was surprised at how understanding he's been. The feeling of having him around was a comforting thought to me, helping me relax a bit more. Logan was actually starting to feel like an older brother to me, and I liked that, since I had never had any siblings of my own. It was nice, feeling that I at least had someone that I could turn to, even in the middle of the night when everyone is supposed to be in bed, asleep and dreaming.

**Ok, I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter? Please REVIEW and let me know what you thought? I've really enjoyed the feedback that I've been getting, and can't wait to see more. So, let me know what you thought, it helps me keep my stories rolling and in tact. I hope everyone enjoyed the time between Elaine and Logan. Chapter 10 should be up soon. Thanks everyone. Enjoy. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 10**

I woke up to the sound of quiet whispers and the feeling of someone poking me. I could still feel Logan beneath me as I laid there, turning over to try and rid myself of the whispers. They wouldn't go away though, and I only felt myself being poked further. Then, before I knew it, I felt something sharp poking my foot. This sent me off of the couch and onto the floor, banging my head against the coffee table painfully. The only thing that I heard was hysterical laughing echoing around my pounding head. That, and the sound of Logan's growling.

"I'm gonna give you to the count of 10 to get out of here," he growled, the sound of his claws coming out met my ears. Within moments, the whispers and laughter disappeared, leaving a silent room behind. "You alright kid?" he asked, kneeling down in front of me. He placed a hand on top of my head, staring at me.

I just groaned at the pressure, making him ease up a bit. My head was killing me and extremely sore now.

"My head hurts…" I groaned, sitting up a bit with Logan's help.

He had me lean my head down toward him so that he could take a look at it, placing the slightest bit of pressure on it. I winced, biting my lower lip. He pulled away after that, not wanting to put me in any more pain. He sat there for a minute or two, thinking about something, before he opened his mouth.

"Why don't you go get dressed, and then we'll get out of here for a few hours?" he suggested, helping me up off of the floor.

I groaned a bit once I was finally up on my feet. The feeling of dizziness met me as I tried to stand still, falling against Logan for a moment as I lost my balance.

"Easy there kid," he chuckled, grasping my shoulders in his large hands to keep me steady.

I gave him a small smile before standing on my own, slowly walking out of the room, and upstairs to get dressed.

I still couldn't believe how well I had slept as I slipped a tight, black shirt over my head. Although, it wasn't _really_ a shirt, but instead it was under-armor. They're still as good as shirts though, and they keep me warm too. After a few moments, I heard a knock on my door, startling me for a moment.

"Come in," I called, looking under my bed for my jacket.

I found it in the far corner against the wall. I'm guessing it ended up slipping down the side of the bed and ended up there. So, laying down on the floor, I scooted under it, trying to grab at it. My fingers barely brushed it, before I felt a hand on my lower leg. It scared the crap out of me, resulting in my hitting my head against the wood boards of the bed.

"Dang it," I muttered, nearly screaming as I was yanked out from under the bed by my ankle.

I let out a groan when I saw who it was.

"Damn it, Remy, don't scare me like that," I breathed, holding my head.

I had an even worse headache now than I did before. He just sat on my bed with a cunning smile on his face.

"What ya doin' cheri?" he asked as he looked down at me.

I was now laying on my back, looking under my bed at my jacket.

"Well, I _was_ trying to get my jacket before you came in here," I told him, making to go back underneath of my bed, but he caught my foot with his staff.

I groaned as I stared up at him from my spot on the floor.

"Okay, I give. What do you want Remy?" I asked, glancing at my jacket every few seconds or so.

"Finally. Gambit was wonderin' if you'd come an' join me for breakfast?" he proposed, smiling at me as he leaned down a bit, his arms resting on top of his knees.

"Sorry, Remy, not today," I said, quickly sliding under my bed and going after my jacket.

I was just about ready to grab a hold of my jacket, before he pulled me right back out, yet again. I sighed heavily as I looked up at him.

"How come cheri?" he asked curiously.

"Because Remy," I started, quickly shooting underneath my bed, "I'm going somewhere with Logan this morning," I explained, grabbing hold of the sleeve of my jacket.

"Logan? What you doin' with ol' Logan?"

"I…don't…know," I said in between turning, trying to get back out. "Okay, can you help me get back out?" I asked.

He didn't say a word as he got up, starting to walk away. I groaned as I caught sight of this, quickly throwing out my foot, hooking it around his ankle. I gave a sharp tug, causing him to trip and fall on the floor.

"I _asked_ for you to help me out of here Remy, not walk away," I glared in annoyance, staring as he grinned nervously at me. "Remy…" I warned, sending him a look from beneath the bed.

"Sorry cheri," he said, before quickly scurrying out of the room.

"Remy, get your butt back in here!" I shouted.

He never came back though, leaving me stuck under the bed. So, I did the only other thing that I could think of.

"Logan!" I screamed, hoping that he would hear me.

A minute later, I heard the sound of footsteps coming into my room. I could faintly see boots standing there, before coming closer to the bed.

"What's going on kid?" Logan asked, kneeling down beside the bed, and lifting the sheet up.

He looked under the bed at me, giving me a questionable look.

"I'm kind of stuck. Mind helping me out?" I asked, giving him a pleading look.

He just laughed, before reaching his arm under the bed, and holding his hand out for me to take. I grabbed a hold of it, letting him pull me out in one swift movement, my jacket clutched in my other hand.

"Now, mind telling me why you were shouting for Gumbo?" he raised a brow at me.

My eyes widened a bit as I shot up off of the floor, running out of my room and down the hall.

"Gambit!" I shouted angrily, running down the stairs.

Logan just shook his head, before walking out of my room, and closing the door behind him. He then went a couple rooms over, pushing the door in. He rose an eyebrow at the man standing in the corner.

"Hey Gumbo, either you get out here, or I'll drag your ass out," Logan threatened, pointing to the door.

"Come on Wolverine, give Gambit a break?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

Seconds later, he was sent flying out of his room, and into the hallway with a thud.

"Damn Logan, ya didn' have ta throw me so hard," Gambit complained, standing up and rubbing his back.

Logan just smirked at him, looking behind Gambit, and down the hall as I came back around the corner.

"Gambit!" I yelled, running forward until I was standing right in front of him.

I glared at him as he stood there, looking down at me nervously. I just reached up and grabbed him by the ear, pulling him down closer to my level until we were face to face.

"Next time, when I ask you to help me out, do it instead of running away," I scolded him, before pushing him away, causing him to land on his butt.

Logan laughed as he watched this, coming up behind me, and resting his arm on my shoulder.

"And I thought that you were a ladies man?" he chuckled.

I sighed in annoyance.

"Logan, can we please just get going?" I asked, looking up at him. "I'm dressed now and I have my jacket, so can we _please_ go now?" I whined, wanting to get away from here.

Logan just chuckled as he led me down the hallway and downstairs.

Once again, I found myself in the garage, heading towards a certain motorcycle.

"Okay, Logan, just promise me no crashing this time?" I begged, looking at the dreaded machine.

"As long as you promise to hold on tight, I think we'll be good," he said, throwing his leg over it and handing me a helmet.

I strapped the thing on, quickly shrugging on my jacket, before getting on behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist as he started it up, lifting my feet off the ground as I buried my face into the back of his jacket.

"Ready kid?"

I nodded my head as I held onto him, nearly yelping when he sped out of the garage at high speed. I closed my eyes tightly, trying not to look around at anything. I could barely hear him laughing over the roar of the engine.

"Where are we going?" I yelled over the engine.

"Waffle House," he said.

I nearly laughed when he said this. Seeming to hear this though, he sped up a bit, causing me to tighten my grip on his waist. I could feel him laughing, the vibrations coming off of his body as I pressed close against his back. To be honest, it felt kind of nice. It was calming and put me at ease as it normally did.

As we sat there together, I relaxed a bit more, loosening my grip a bit. I let my finger splay out across his stomach, feeling the smoothness of the leather that was his jacket, though it was slightly rough from age.

"Hey Logan?!"

"Yeah?"

"Where did you get this jacket?" I asked over the engine of the motorcycle.

I could feel him shift a bit before he decided to answer me.

"I don't remember," he told me.

I caught the faint sadness in his voice as he told me this. So, deciding to give him a break, I didn't push on the matter and just shut up for the remainder of the ride.

T

I was happy as we came to pull up into Waffle House's parking lot. I only let go when he turned off the engine, unwrapping my arms from his torso, and climbing off the motorcycle.

"Now, that wasn't so bad was it?" he asked, biting back a smile.

I just gave him a playful glare and shoved him, running inside Waffle House. He just followed me inside, throwing his arm around my shoulders, and pulling me close to him.

"Don't think that you're going to get off that easy kid. I won't make a scene in here, but once we're done, your ass is mine," he whispered in my ear.

I just groaned, letting him pull me over to a booth. I sat down across from him, yawning as I stretched my arms a bit.

"Hey, wake up," he said, shooting the paper wrapping of a straw at my face.

I laughed, swatting at his hand. We watched as a waitress came up to us, smiling, and standing a bit closer to Logan than she should have.

"Hello, my name's Cindy, how may I help you handsome?" she asked all too sweetly to Logan.

I watched as he shifted a bit, before giving her his order.

"I'll have 3 eggs over easy, sausage AND bacon, a hash brown, toast, and 2 waffles," he said.

"And to drink sir?"

"Coffee, black," he answered.

Right after that, she went to walk away without even asking me what I wanted.

"Excuse me," I coughed loudly, getting her attention.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," she said, not meaning a word of it.

"I'd like water to drink. For food, I'd like 2 eggs over easy like my _father_, bacon, and raisin cinnamon swirl toast. I'll just steal some of his waffle," I said, pointing to Logan. "Is that okay, _Dad_?" I asked, smiling at him.

He just grinned at me.

"Of course _honey_," he said, patting my hand gently.

I had to try my hardest not to laugh as we sat there. Only when she left did we laugh quietly.

"Hey, _honey_, why don't you come over here and sit by _Daddy_ for a while?" he suggested.

"Okay, _Dad_," I said, grinning as I got up from my seat across from him and sat down on the other side next to him.

As I sat there, he placed his arm over my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. I looked up at him curiously, but he just smiled. I opened my mouth to ask something, but I stopped as the girl came back with our drinks. I'll just ask him later.

I thought about things for a moment, grinning as a thought came to mind. I tore the end of the wrapper on my straw, discretely aiming it at Logan, before letting it fly into his face.

"Pay back," I laughed, quickly being met with his knuckles rubbing harshly against my skull.

I laughed as I tried to pull away, but to no avail. He was just too strong.

"Have you had enough yet kid?" he chuckled.

"Y-yes!" I said, trying to pull away.

I nearly fell out of the booth when he finally let go of me. There was a smile on his face as he ruffled my hair, making it go in every which way direction. I tried to straighten my hair as the waitress came back over with our food, setting it down in front of us. I watched as she slid Logan's gently in front of him, and dropping _mine_ in front of me. I wanted to say something, but Logan stopped me by ruffling my hair.

"Just eat kid," he said, stuffing a piece of waffle in his mouth.

After that, I turned to my food, my eyes glancing over it all. The bacon was a bit soft, just how I liked it. I liked it even better when it was in my mouth. I closed my eyes, savoring the taste as I chewed. I loved bacon. Next, I moved onto the toast, spreading apple butter over it. It smelled so good as I brought it up near my nose, inhaling the wonderful scent, before placing it in my mouth. The piece was devoured in only a few bites.

"Enjoying yourself kid?" Logan asked.

I nodded my head, before taking my fork and snagging a nice sized piece of his waffle, stuffing it in my mouth happily. He laughed as I turned my head to look at him, my mouth closed and full of food. I just smiled the best I could, making myself look like a goof ball.

**Ok, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I know that some of you have also been wondering about Elaine's time with Kurt. Don't worry, she'll be spending some more time with him soon, just like she did with Logan, and Remy. Soon, you'll get to see an even closer look at our character as she spends a bit of alone time with Kurt. Please, remember to REVIEW and send me messages if you want. I love hearing feedback on my story. Thanks everyone. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 11**

The next day was Sunday, a day when most people religious would be in church. It's a day that for years, has held no place in my heart. In fact, it was a dull reminder of a normal life long forgotten. Though apparently, not forgotten enough.

That's right, my thoughts still trailed back to it. My heart pounded in my chest, reminding me of those years with my family, when we would go to church together. I had always believed in God, always loved God, always prayed for his help and guidance. I don't know what went wrong though. I suppose it was my guilt that pushed him out of my thoughts after my parents death. I felt as though he would never accept me again, no matter what I did.

As I walked the halls, I closed my eyes, thinking of how great my sin of living was. I had killed my parents. Two innocent people died by my hands, and I couldn't take it back, no matter how hard I tried. I would never be forgiven, and would inevitably be sent to the pits of hell for all eternity.

Those thoughts were put aside for barely a moment as I stopped in front of a door. I could hear muttering inside, almost like chanting. I also noticed that it was Kurt's room that I was standing in front of.

"Kurt…" I whispered, before carefully opening the door.

I looked inside, seeing him perched on the edge of his bed, muttering to himself. He had what looked like a twisted cross hanging from his fingers on a chain.

"Kurt…?" I called quietly, making him look up from what he was doing.

"E-Elaine," he stammered, surprised to see me here.

"What are you doing?" I asked quietly, staring at him as he leapt off of his bed and onto the floor.

"I vaz praying," he told me, holding up the metal cross that hung from his pocket.

I stared at it for a moment, thoughts running through my head. I had to avert my eyes for a moment, glancing away from him, and what was currently dangling from his hand.

"Why…why do you do that?" I asked, slowly bringing my eyes to look at him again.

"You mean pray?" he asked.

I nodded my head.

"Vell…I pray for forgivnezz," he said, "I pray to be clozer to Gott," he explained.

I just stared at him, my brows furrowing together.

"But…but how can you believe in him…how can you pray to him when he's left you like this!?" I exclaimed, wanting to know how someone like Kurt could bother asking for forgiveness, when all he's gotten is a life of pain and fear.

"Becauze fraulein, he iz merciful. Gott iz great, and he givez forgivenezz to zoze who azk for it," he told me.

I just turned my head away from him, not believing it. I could never be forgiven, so why even ask for forgiveness if it won't do me any good.

"You do not believe?" he asked me.

"I…I used too, but not anymore," explained, turning to a wall, and resting my face against it.

"Zen you know zat he iz forgiving," he said, coming to stand by my side.

I shook my head no, trying not to cry.

"Not when you've killed people Kurt!" I cried, not realizing that I had just blurted that out.

"Killed people?" he questioned, his brows knitting together as he stared at me with his yellow eyes.

I nodded my head carefully.

"A dangerous sin among others…one that cannot be forgiven…and I don't expect it to be…" I told him.

I then turned around to look at him, my eyes connecting with his.

"I'll burn in hell Kurt…so why should I pray? If I were normal, then there wouldn't be any problems at all," I explained.

This caused him to look at me with a certain sadness as realization hit him.

"Ziz vaz a rezult of your powerz?" he asked.

I nodded my head, answering without any spoken words.

"Elaine…" he whispered, walking to stand before me as he wrapped his arms around me in an embrace.

"Gott forgivez all zinz…he lovez uz all Elaine. You juzt have to believe in him and he zhall guide you to the heavenz above. Zere iz a reazon for everyzing Elaine. It vaz not your fault," he whispered into my ear softly.

I just stood there as tears fell, trying to pull away, but Kurt wouldn't let me go. He knew better than to let me go at this moment in time. In fact, if he did let go, then I'd probably end up doing something stupid.

"N-no! I'm a sinner! It was my fault!" I cried, trying harder to pull away from him, but it did little good for me at all.

"Elaine, once you believe in Gott, you never truly ztop believing," he said.

I just backed against the wall, sliding down it, crying into my arms.

"Pleaze Elaine, juzt listen?" he pleaded, kneeling before me, his strange hands on my shoulders. "If you von't pray, zin I vill do it for you," he explained, taking his cross from his pants, and placing his hands on the sides of my face.

His cross dangled down, brushing my cheek as tears fell mercilessly down my face. He didn't seem to mind as they soaked into his skin, a few rolling down his hand, and traveling down the blue plain of his arm. His forehead was placed against mine.

With each tear I cried, my soul grew tired, crying out for redemption. I still believed in God, but I myself was too scared and ashamed to ask for forgiveness after everything that I had done. Now, Kurt was doing it for me, praying for me so that I didn't have to. He prayed for me to put my restless and longing soul at ease, to free me from my self-imprisonment. All that I could do was nod weakly.

Such great power in words of prayer, those spoken aloud, they were more powerful than any. They were words being spoken for me.

"Merciful Gott, forgive zeze zinz az you have forgiven mein. Forgive and let her be free from zis zorrow zhe holdz. Pleaze, Lord in heaven, Gott our zavior, zave her from zis zuffering…" he whispered quietly with his head down and his eyes closed. "Forgive zy Lord in heaven. For your vill zhall be done on earth az it iz in heaven," he whispered, and once again, more tears fell from my eyes.

His words of prayer were so soothing to me, even though they seemed so foreign to my ears. They brought back old memories that I had kept locked far away in my shaky mind. Though as everyone knows, not all memories can be so easily forgotten and left in darkness to rot away. No, they came back out every now and then just to spite you. Right now, was one such time for me.

"_Come here baby. Hush now, please don't cry," my mother said softly, brushing away the tears from my eyes._

"_I did a bad thing Mommy," I cried._

"_What did you do sweetie? Tell Mommy and I'll make it all better," she promised._

"_I-I lied," I exclaimed tearfully._

_Once again, she whipped away my sorrowful tears, kissing my forehead gently._

"_Don't worry baby, all is forgiven," she assured me._

"_But…we're not supposed to lie…it's against the rules," I cried._

_My mother sighed, her eyes tracing over every part of my tiny face. My face was filled with such anguish._

"_Yes, I know sweetie, but he always forgives us," she said, causing me to look at her. "God, forgives all sins as long as we believe. We must believe in him Elaine. Believe and embrace him, cherish him and love him, hold him always in our hearts," she said, "He loves us always."_

Tears fell rapidly from my eyes.

"In your loving and holy name, I pray, amen," he whispered.

"Amen…" I choked faintly, catching him by surprise, but causing him to smile.

After that, I let my arms fly forward, hugging him and crying.

"It'z alright Elaine, it iz alright," he shushed, holding me in his arms.

He gently stroked my hair as we sat there, cooing faint words into my ear. They were gentle words of calming, prayers, and psalms from the Bible. The Bible, no doubt a book he had memorized and read often. He could probably speak every word verbatim.

"Huzh now Elaine…pleaze do not cry," he whispered softly, his accent never wavering.

Once again as always, this wore my body out, exhausting all of my energy. I had gotten so wound up, that now, I was completely tired out. I just wanted to go back to sleep and possibly wish that this never happened. Then again, it did happen, whether I liked it or not. Regardless, the crying would not stop. In fact, I couldn't stop crying even if I wanted to right now.

"Huzh Elaine. It iz alright, ze Lord iz vith you az am I," he whispered.

I shook my head quietly, weakly, trying to brush away my tears. I had no clue as to why this always tired me out so much. Then again, so much energy was used and wasted on account of crying. So I guess that is why I was so tired. Then again, I was pretty much tired of everything to be honest.

So, without really thinking about anything else, I just let myself fall against him. My tired exhaustion slowly taking over me and leaving me alone with him in this darkness.

I could hear him sigh quietly as he wrapped his arms around me to pick me up. He just held me in his arms as he walked toward his door, his tail flicking behind him as he looked down at me.

Trying to suppress my emotions didn't help me much either, it just wasted even more energy that I obviously didn't have in me.

"Hey! What's goin' on here?" Gambit asked as he stepped out of his room, his eyes landing on me and Kurt.

"Nozing," Kurt assured him, walking toward my room.

That answer apparently wasn't good enough for him, so he followed Kurt into my room.

"Vhy muzt you follow?" Kurt asked, glancing at Gambit as he laid me down on my bed.

"Because, Gambit wanna know what wrong wi'd cheri," he said as he moved closer to look at me. "Why she been cryin'?" he asked with a slight accusatory tone in his voice, upon seeing the wetness on my face.

Kurt turned away from him for a moment, before deciding to answer.

"It iz not my place to zay. It iz between her and Gott now," he said.

Gambit glared at him as he said that.

"Don' give me d'at crap," he spat, obviously annoyed.

Kurt was taken back by this, startled at what Gambit had said. Before Gambit could say anything else, I decided to speak up.

"Enough Remy…" I groaned, turning over a bit and surprising both of them. "Don't make me…get…Logan in here," I said tiredly.

It was obvious in the sound of my voice that I was completely exhausted, and they both noticed it. I gave Kurt a look that basically said, "_Go get Logan_" and with that, he left. Though, he left Gambit to pester me with questions.

"Why were ya cryin' cheri?" he asked, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

I just turned over, facing away from him as I closed my eyes, trying to tune in out. That didn't seem to work though as he turned me back over to face him.

"Come on, cheri, tell Remy?" he pleaded, but I gave him no answer.

"It's not something that I want to talk about Remy," I muttered, listening quietly to the oncoming footsteps that were now heading down the hall in my direction.

"Why won' you tell Remy?" he questioned, still trying to pump me for answers.

I let out a sigh of relief as Logan came into the room and grabbed him by the back of his coat, tossing him out of the room, and closing the on him. Though, not before saying something along the line of, "Stay out of here Gumbo"

"Logan…" I whispered tiredly, a small smile on my face.

He just gave me a faint chuckle as he pulled the desk chair up in front of my bed.

"What's got you so bent out of shape before 8 in the evening?" he asked.

I went to open my mouth, but he held a finger up. He then got up and went to the door, opening it, and grabbing Gambit roughly by his coat. I could hear the sound of his yelp as he was tossed into his room. I wouldn't doubt if Logan doesn't end up tying him up and hog tying him. Logan then came back 5 minutes later with a satisfied grin on his face.

"Well, I think that takes care of that," he said, sitting back down in front of me.

"Please tell me…that you didn't just do…what I…think you did?" I asked through half lidded eyes.

He just grinned at me.

"Lovely…" I muttered, closing my eyes tiredly.

When Logan didn't hear anything else from me after a good 10 minutes, he left, deciding that I was finally asleep.

T

Unfortunately, I wound up waking up at around midnight, unable to go back to sleep. So, against my better judgment, I decided to get up out of bed.

A thought crossed my mind as I left my room, quietly heading toward Gambit's. I had a feeling that he wasn't asleep, and likely still tied up. And what do you know, upon entering his room, I found that I was right.

I couldn't help but laugh as I stood there staring at him. He just sat in the corner of his room on his stomach tied up, staring at me with pleading eyes.

"You know…" I yawned, "I have half a mind to just leave you like this and attempt to go back to sleep," I said, rubbing my eyes a bit.

"Come on cheri, I'm beggin' ya. Help ol' Gambit outta d'is?" he asked, moving around a bit the best that he could.

I sighed as I came closer, falling to my knees in front of him. I then went to work at trying to untie him, but it did little good, only resulting in making my hands sore.

"Remy, where's that knife of yours?" I asked, yawning again.

He tried to turn a bit as he thought about it.

"Is in me back pocket cheri," he announced.

My whole face went red when he said this. Just the mere idea of me touching his _butt_ was enough to send me over the edge. So, swallowing heavily, I reached into his right back pocket. I came back empty handed and still embarrassed.

"In d'e o'der pocket cheri," he said, biting back a laugh. I smacked his arm for that.

I sighed, before reaching into his left back pocket, coming back out with his pocketknife in hand. I swear, the whole time, I could feel my face heat up.

"Ya got it cheri?" he asked.

"Y-yeah…I've got it Remy," I told him, flipping it open, and working on cutting him loose.

It took me a few minutes because Logan had tied him so tight, but I eventually cut through it. He was so happy when he was finally free, rubbing his wrists painfully, along with cracking his stiff neck and back.

"Feel better now?" I asked, yawning as I rested against the wall, closing my eyes.

I think sleep was trying to catch up to me again, telling me that I needed to go back to sleep again.

"Much betta cheri, much," he said, grinning at me.

I just sat there with my eyes closed and his pocketknife in my hand. My mind kept trying to go back into dream world as I sat there. Luckily, it was Remy that was alone in the room with me instead of a few possible other guys in this school. I can only imagine what they would do while I slept. Luckily, Remy was a gentleman and had manners for the most part. Although, it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't let his mind wander a bit every now and then like most guys, but I still liked him well enough.

"You're fallin' asleep there cheri," Gambit said, stating the obvious.

I could only half way hear him though as I sat there, slipping in and out of consciousness. I could feel the gears in my head turning as images made their way into my mind. They were all of various colors, with nothing in particular standing out. All that it really was at the moment was a bunch of swirling colors that continued to mesh together in my head.

"Cheri," Gambit's voice pulled me back to my senses for a moment, "You're fallin' darlin'," he said.

Even though he said this, it still didn't really register with me that well.

"You know cheri, if Wolverine find you in here, Gambit gonna be in big trouble," he said, listening carefully for any noise outside.

I didn't really move or say anything as he sat there in front of me, staring at me. I opened my eyes for a brief moment, my eyes slowly fixing on his face. He gave me a small smile as he came closer, wrapping his arm around my back. I looked at him tiredly, a faint spark of curiosity in my eyes. He just placed his other arm under my legs, lifting me off of the floor as he stood up.

He made sure to check the hallway first, before stepping outside. Once he was satisfied, he quickly snuck over to my room and put me in my bed.

He stood there for a few moments, just staring down at me as he brushed a bit of hair out of my face, placing it behind my ear.

"You really are a beauty cheri," he whispered, caressing my cheek for just a moment, before turning toward the door. "Bonne nuit, cheri," he said, closing the door behind him.

The moment that he left though, I could hear his voice distinctively saying, "Merde!" I could tell that he was trying to stay on the quiet side when he said it, but he was obviously irritated and displeased. Though, I think I heard Logan's voice too, so that would likely explain things.

**Ok everyone, there's chapter 11. I hope that everyone enjoyed it. Please remember to REVIEW and send me feedback? I love hearing back from others on what they think of my story. So please, don't hesitate to let me know how you feel about it. Reviews are always good inspiration to keep me writing. :) Thanks everyone. Pleasant reading.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 12**

Weeks went by and the weather outside grew ever colder. It was about the second week of December now, and Christmas was just around the corner. The Professor had already relieved the students of class till the new year, and some students left for home, while others stayed behind at the school. Either they didn't have anywhere to go (like me), weren't welcome back home (like me) or they just didn't want to leave (like me). It didn't matter to me though, I just wanted to be left alone.

Most people didn't go outside right now given how cold it was, but I'm one of the weird one's that just doesn't care. I just wanted some time to myself as I thought about things.

It was going to be different this year. With a new home, new friends, new surroundings. This would my first Christmas with people that actually cared about me since my parents died. This all felt so strange to me, and at times, it still kind of scared me. It made me smile though at the prospect of actually receiving Christmas presents for once. I was kind of anxious to see what I would get.

When I brought the issue of Christmas shopping up with the Professor, he was actually very nice about it and even gave me some money. He had told me that the money was mine anyway, the money that a few of my previous caregivers had forgotten was supposed to be used for my well-being. He did suggest that I take Gambit with me though, so that I wouldn't be by myself. I didn't really mind so much, since he was good company most of the time.

I felt so out of place when we were at the mall, just walking around and staring into different shop windows. Seeing as my clothes were starting to become a bit too worn, I bought a couple shirts and another pair of pants. I also bought a few pairs of socks, especially since I had worn holes in all of my other ones.

When we walked by a game shop, I made Gambit wait outside.

I went in, looking around at the shelves. I found one section that had playing cards and grinned. I went and looked through the different assortments of playing cards, picking a few different decks. I think I had like 10 decks in my hands as I went up to the front desk. I was curious though when my eyes caught a set of cards inside the glass case.

A few of the cards had been pulled out of the box so that they were visible to costumers. Even though they looked a bit aged, they were elegant and beautiful.

"Excuse me Sir, could I see those cards for a moment?" I asked, pointing at the ones I wanted to look at.

"Certainly, Miss," he said, pulling them out from the case for me.

Once he sat them in front of me, I drew the remaining cards from the little box, looking over them. I made sure to count them, wanting to be certain that they were all there. Dispite their age, they were in rather good condition. The cards themselves were smooth against my fingertips, the corners well rounded. They were perfect. I was about ready to say something when I heard Gambit.

"You about done in d'ere cheri?" he asked, starting to walk in.

I quickly made my way over to him, pushing him out of the shop.

"I'll be done in a minute, just stay out here," I said, quickly walking back in.

I sighed as I stood before the man, running my fingers through my hair.

"How much are they?" I asked, looking down at the cards.

"20 dollars," he said.

I sighed, debating for a moment on whether they were worth it. I bit my bottom lip as I glanced back at the front of the store, seeing Gambit sitting on one of the benches with his eyes closed.

"I'm guessing these aren't for you?" he asked.

I nodded my head.

"My friend," I gestured to Gambit sitting outside, "has a thing for cards," I told him.

"Ah, I see. Hm…how about I let you have them for $15?" he proposed.

I smiled graciously.

"I think I can work with that," I said, standing there as he rang everything up.

Gambit was happy when I was finally done, walking back out of the shop. He jumped right to his feet, coming to stand in front of me.

"Where to next cheri?" he asked.

"I'm not really sure. I guess we can just walk around a bit more and see if we find anything," I said, moving forward.

I swear, I really should have thought things over before coming here. Maybe then, I'd actually know what to get. I mean, I already had Gambit out of the way, but there was still Logan, Kurt, Hank, the Professor, Ororo, and Scott. Although, I kind of already knew what I was going to get Scott, wax for his car(s). Now that I think about it, a book would probably work for Hank.

"Hey, Remy, let's find the bookstore," I said, switching the bags to my other hand.

"Alright cheri, but…" he came up beside me, quickly snatching the bags from my hand, "I'll carry these," he said.

I sighed for a moment, trying to grab them back, but he wouldn't let me.

"Ah, ah, ah cheri. You shouldn' strain your delicate hands," he chuckled, lifting the bags above his head so that I couldn't reach them.

I tried jumping for them, but I'm too short to reach them. So, I decided to go with plan B, and grabbed hold of his ear. He let out a yowl in pain as I pulled him down to my level.

"Come on, cheri, be nice ta Remy?" he pleaded, trying not to move his head too much.

Ignoring his plea, I got up close to his face, looking him in the eyes. He kept silent, waiting for me to speak.

"You even try to look through my stuff and you're a dead man," I warned, letting go of his ear.

He stood there rubbing his ear for a moment, a skeptical look on his face.

"I mean it Remy," I said, pressing my earlier comment.

"Alright, alright, Gambit won' look," he agreed.

"Thank you," I muttered, walking forward.

Gambit just came up beside me, throwing an arm around my shoulders, and pulling me close to him as we walked. I could feel my face heat up a bit as he did this, trying to hide my embarrassment.

T

Gambit stood there for a moment, rubbing his ear when Elaine finally decided to let go. He didn't know why she was so uptight about not wanting him to see the contence (sp?) of the bags, but he agreed not to look inside them. He didn't want his ear pulled again.

He watched as she started to walk off ahead of him, her hands hanging loosely at her sides. He'd known her for nearly two months now, and he still didn't understand her at times. Then again, she was usually fairly quiet when it came to people, and really didn't talk to anyone. In fact, the only ones that she ever talked to, were the Professor, Logan, Kurt, and himself. Occasionally, she'd talk to some of the other teachers and students, but it was rare. He had noticed though, that she seemed to favor Logan at time, and he wondered why. He admitted to himself that he was a bit jealous at this, wanting to spend more time with her. After all, that was the original reason for him coming to New York in the first place. He still had to remind himself though, that she was still scared, and still trying to get used to having a semi-normal life.

He sighed for a moment, coming to walk beside her before placing his arm around her shoulders. He could faintly feel her stiffen as he pulled her against him. She seemed embarrassed from this action.

He grinned for a moment, before speaking.

"Why don' we get somet'in ta eat cheri?" he suggested, glancing down at her.

"Will you let go of me?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I don' t'ink so cheri," he said, grinning at her.

She groaned in what he could only presume to be annoyance.

"Come on, cheri. Ya gotta be hungry," he pushed.

"Remy…" she started warily, "I just want to get done shopping, okay? My feet are killing me…" she muttered.

He looked down at her for a moment, before nodding his head, leading her toward one of the benches.

"D'en sit down, cheri," he said, pushing her gently onto the bench.

T

I just stared at him as he pushed me to sit on the bench, watching warily as he knelt down, undoing my shoes. I could feel a thin blush slowly creeping onto my cheeks as he did this.

"R-Remy…w-what are you doing?" I asked carefully, watching as he pulled my worn socks off of my feet.

"Don' worry cheri, I just helpin'," he reassured me.

My fingers curled when he started rubbing and massaging my feet, my breath catching tightly in my throat. I had to turn my head away so that I wouldn't have to look at him. I was so embarrassed!

"R-Remy," I stammered.

"Don' worry cheri, I just helpin'," he repeated again.

Out of the corner of my eyes, he had what looked to be a look of satisfaction on his face.

"You're so dead when we get back," I muttered.

"No, when we get back you can return the favor," he said slyly.

"Why you little sneak!" I exclaimed, shoving him a bit with my other foot.

He just laughed merrily, before reaching into one of my bags, and pulling out a pair of socks. Before I could say anything, he pulled them out and put them on my feet. He then slipped my shoes back on and pulled me to my feet.

"Now, let's get done wit' d'at shoppin' of yours so we can get outta here," he said.

"You just wanna get back so that you can have me rub your feet," I scowled.

"Never said it be my feet cheri," he said, "Gambit neck and back been mighty stiff lately. Wolverine ain't too gentle wit' me," he told me, trying to hold in a grin.

"Why you…" I smacked his arm lightly, walking away.

"Come on, cheri, wait up," he called, catching up to me and grabbing me by the waist.

"What!?" I growled faintly.

I had to stop though when he looked down at me with a serious look.

"Cheri…" he looked around carefully for a moment, "ya need ta _slow_ down," he said, emphasizing on slow.

My eyes went wide when I realized what he meant. People were staring at us now, and it was starting to scare me.

"Let's just get outta here cheri," he said slowly, slowly moving toward the exit with me by his side.

**Man I can't believe myself! I forgot to put this up the other day when I finished it. Bad Kitty, bad! Sorry everyone :) Well, there's chapter 12. To make it up to everyone, chapter 13 should be up today, maybe in a couple hours, maybe a bit less. Anyway, please remember to REVIEW. And Bite, if you're reading this, don't sick your rabid hamster on me yet? :) Lol.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 13**

When we got back, we went straight to my room. I didn't want to be near anyone at the moment, Gambit was an exception to that at the moment.

"Remy go grab somet'in ta eat for us," he said, going back down stairs.

This gave me plenty of time to hide his gift under my bed against the wall. After that, I went to my drawer and started pulling clothes out, tossing them onto the floor. I had to go through them and decide what I had to get rid of. To be honest, it was ridiculous the amount of clothes that needed to just be thrown away. I was in the middle of sorting through my clothes when Gambit came back in.

"Whatcha doin', cheri?" he asked, taking off his coat, and placing it on the back of the chair.

"Throwing stuff away," I responded promptly.

He looked at me curiously, before pealing his dark green turtleneck sweater from his torso. My face went slowly red upon seeing this. He just looked at me with a smug expression on his face.

"Like what ya see, cheri?" he asked, a sly smile on his face.

I just tossed a pair of pants at him, turning around, and going back to sorting my stuff out.

"So, about that back rub," he reminded me, holding my pants in his hands.

I sighed quietly.

"Just lay down on the bed Remy," I told him, standing up from my spot on the floor and stretching.

He did as he was told, laying down on his stomach, resting his head in his arms. Once he was situated, I got onto the bed, straddling him.

"It's not too much weight is it?" I asked, not wanting to cause him any discomfort.

"No, is not," he reassured me.

"Okay," I said, hesitantly placing my hands on his strong shoulders.

I could feel his muscles roll under my hands, but I also felt him relax at my touch. It was interesting. So, I continued, putting pressure on his shoulders. I pressed the brunt of my hand into his shoulder, working to relieve the tension. I could feel the muscles start to loosen up as I kneaded at his skin.

"Mmm…d'at feel good, cheri," he moaned, but let out a yelp a moment later. "D'at hurt, cheri," he exclaimed, quickly grabbing hold of my hand, his brows knitting together.

I leaned down near his ear, before whispering.

"And _that_ is for earlier, _Gambit_," I said, staring at him tentatively.

He sighed and let go of my hand a moment later, letting me go back to working on his muscles. Once again, he laid his head back down and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel that I was giving him. I once again pressed harder with the brunt of my palm, working a knot out of his lower neck and shoulder. He moaned again, causing me to chuckle.

"What's so funny, cheri?" he asked, not opening his eyes.

"Does it really feel that good?" I asked skeptically.

"Course it does, cheri. Haven't you had one before?" he questioned, shifting slightly.

"No, I haven't," I admitted to him, working on the spot between his shoulders.

"D'en Gambit have ta give ya one sometime," he said.

A faint blush crept onto my cheeks.

"That's really not necessary Remy," I said, looking away for a moment.

I just closed my eyes, concentrating on what I was doing. Little by little, I worked my way down his back, working at his muscles. He seemed so content and at piece as I did all of this, it actually made me smile, which I didn't do very often.

"You know…you guys should really be more careful when you're going at it," I spoke quietly.

This caught his attention, causing him to roll over a bit. I lost my balance a bit, falling on him, but he caught me.

"Gambit didn' know ya worry 'bout him so much," he said, trying to hold back a smile.

My face flushed a bit.

"I…I don't…I just think that you guys should be more careful," I stuttered, sitting back up.

"Well, Gambit try ta be more careful d'en," he said.

"Do you want me to finish or not?" I asked quietly, my eyes looking elsewhere as I waited for him to turn back over.

After a moment or so, he did, remaining quiet. I then proceeded to move to his middle to lower back, he seemed most sore in that area. My theory was proven true when he let out a small groan.

"Little bit ta d'e right, cheri," he instructed.

I followed what he said, moving in a bit more to the right, pressing down on the muscles. I felt them move a bit as they rolled under my hands. His muscles were so stiff. After a while, my hands started to hurt, so I decided to use my elbow. I felt him jerk for a moment when I pressed down.

"Sorry, Remy," I apologized, realizing that I had probably pressed down on a nerve.

I continued for about another 10 to 20 minutes before I grew too tired.

"D'at's good, cheri, you can stop now," he said, relieving me of my duty.

I sighed and fell off to the side of him. He just rolled over and looked at me, a kind smile on his face.

"Now, Gambit return d'e favor," he said, sitting up on the bed.

My face went pale at this.

"Remy, I really don't think that's necessary," I said, trying to reason with him.

"Nonsense, cheri. You help me, I help you. Ya just need ta loosen up," he said, moving over a bit.

I just shook my head, but that didn't seem to do any good. He sighed for a moment.

"Gambit promise ta behave," he swore to me, crossing his finger over his heart.

Sighing, I turned around, lifting my shirt over my head, but keeping it on my arms and covering my front. I then laid down on my stomach, trying my best to keep my nerves under control. I don't know what possessed me to go through with it, but I guess I'm slowly starting to trust him a bit more I guess, who knows.

"Any funny business and I'm kicking you out of here, got it?" I warned, closing my eyes.

He just chuckled as he got behind me, straddling me like I had done to him, but he made sure not to put too much of his weight on me so that he didn't hurt me.

"Oui, cheri. Gambit behave," he reassured me again.

Moments later, I could feel his warm hands on my skin, pressing in against the muscles. It felt different than I thought it would, it actually started to feel good after a while, even though at times it hurt just a little bit.

He just continued to do this, working out the pent up tense in my muscles. Now that I think about it, it might have been one of the reasons why I never really slept well. My was always stiff and sore. The training with Logan, and the training in the danger room didn't help matters much either. Plus, I've never really taken that much time to actually try and relax. I was always bent out of shape for some reason or another.

"Remy?" I breathed out.

"Oui, cheri?"

"Thank you…" I whispered, his hands nearly putting me to sleep.

"Ya know, cheri, I was wondering…" he started, but was cut off as my door burst open, an angry Logan standing in it. "Oh merde," Gambit muttered, his eyes wide as mine.

"What do you think you're doin' Gumbo!?" Logan shouted, marching over to us angrily.

"Is not what you t'ink Wolverine," Gambit cried, but was met with a swift punch to the face, knocking him into the floor.

"Logan!" I yelled, quickly scrambling off of the bed as he shoved Gambit against the wall, his hand around his throat growling at him. "Stop it!" I pounded on his back, trying to get him to stomp. "Stop it Logan! You're choking him! He can't breathe!" I yelled.

A moment later, he let go of Gambit, letting him fall to the floor.

"Remy!" I knelt beside him as he coughed and gasped for air on the floor.

"T-t'anks…c-cheri," he tried between breaths of air.

I'm so glad that I slipped my shirt back on before getting off of the bed.

Moments later, I grabbed Logan, and pulled him out of the room. I stared at him for a moment, before deciding to speak.

"What were you thinking?" I asked on the verge of tears.

"What do you mean what was I thinking!?" he yelled making me flinch.

"He…he didn't do anything wrong Logan," I cried, a few tears slipping from my eyes.

Apparently, quite a few people had heard the ruckus and decided to come out and find out what it was. They were all staring at us.

"Then what was it that I saw?" he asked angrily.

I had to look away from him to prevent myself from breaking down further.

"He…he was massaging my back…I…I don't sleep well," I cried, moving to fall against the frame of my door.

When he finally noticed me crying, his face fell, realization dawning on him. The only thing that I could do was stand there as everyone stared at me, including Logan and Remy. Before I could really even think about anything else, I took off running. I pushed everyone out of the way as I ran down the hall. I ran down the stairs, nearly tripping over a few of them in my haste, and then just ran outside into the cold.

The moment I got outside I nearly fell to the ground in tears, but made my way over to the courtyard wall. I didn't realize that the Professor could see me from where he was, but he could. So, I just sat there crying in nothing but a simple worn out shirt and pants as the cold winter wind blew against me. It was freezing out, but I didn't care, I just wanted to be away from everyone.

T

Everyone just stood there, watching as Elaine ran down the hall. No one moved, saved to get out of her way as she pushed through them. Scott had seen the whole thing, but stood there as she ran, his eyes traveling to Logan.

"And you think I'm a dick?" he scoffed, turning to walk away.

He went back to his room and grabbed his jacket from his chair, walking back out, and then down the hall. No one stopped him, they just kept staring at Logan, who looked crest fallen. He hadn't realized what had happened till it was too late. He had smelled the Cajun in her room and came in to investigate. How was he supposed to know that the man wasn't doing anything wrong? He was on top of her, no shirt on, and she had her shirt off. Granted, she wasn't facing him, but how was he supposed to know. He just wanted to protect her, that's all.

Now, Gambit, finally stood up, a bruise already forming on his face as he grabbed his sweater and put it back on. He then grabbed his coat and walked out, placing his hand on Logan's shoulder.

"I would 'ave done d'e same t'ing Wolverine, but I gotta go now," he said as he moved down the hall in a hurry.

He had to find her, he had to find Elaine and get her back inside because he knew that she'd be outside. The girl didn't trust her emotions in front of other people, and he knew why. She was lonely, scared, and just didn't get along with people. There were so many reasons, but in a way, he knew exactly why.

**There's chapter 13 everyone. I hope that everyone liked it. Please remember to REVIEW? I love hearing what everyone has said so far, and it brings me great joy and inspiration. Thanks for reading everyone. Remember, thoughts are always welcome. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 14**

When Gambit finally found her, he was taken back a bit by finding her in Scott's arms crying. He hadn't expected that, especially, since they didn't really like each other that much. Then again, sometimes Scott can actually act like a person, normally he was just in a bad mood.

T

I just sat there crying as the winter wind blew against me, causing me to shake and shiver. The cold was starting to take its toll on me as I sat there in the snow. I continued to sit there with my knees against my chest till I heard someone call my name.

"Elaine!" they called.

I lifted my head to find Scott running toward me. I was completely shocked that he had come after me. Scott…Scott of all people.

I sighed quietly as I stared at him, my eyes welling up again.

"Scott…" I choked, throwing my arms around him as he knelt down in front of me.

I felt him stiffen for a moment, before he slowly wrapped his arms around me, trying to sooth me as I cried. I just couldn't help it anymore, and I didn't care if it was Scott or not that witnessed it.

Surprisingly enough, he actually sat there with me as I cried, embracing me. He held on to me as I cried on his shoulder, shaking from the cold and my emotions. Moments later, I heard a small gasp, turning my eyes to find Gambit standing there.

"R-Remy…" I whispered, sniffling as I looked at him.

"Cheri," he breathed, hurrying over to us with his coat in hand. "Cheri!" he exclaimed, falling to his knees beside us.

He was panting and looked frantic. He took my hand as I reached out to him, pulling me to him as he hugged me. He quickly wrapped his coat are me in an attempt to warm from the cold. I think that I was already starting to develop frostbite, especially since I couldn't feel my face or fingers.

"Cheri…your lips are blue," he frowned, gently brushing his thumb over my lips.

I winced faintly when he did this.

"Oh, cheri," he whispered, pulling me up with him.

I cried out when he did this, my legs not wanting to bend properly. It hurt trying to stand, which only caused me to cling to him and cry again.

"We have to get her inside," Scott said, getting up and running toward the mansion.

Gambit did the same thing as he picked me up in his arms, holding me against his chest as he ran with me bundled up. When he got to the doors, Scott held them open, ushering him inside and into the living area close to the fire. A few of the kids that were still up moved out of the way to make room.

"Peter, help me move this couch," Scott said to a large boy that was in the room.

They quickly moved the couch closer to the fire place, were Gambit then set me down.

"Quickly, we need blankets," Scott said flipping out a bit.

I had never seen him like this, so concerned for me when he never really even seemed to care at all. It was then that I started to fall asleep, unable to stay awake any longer. I could hear the frantic running of footsteps and the desperate talk around me as people hurried to help. Before I knew it, my clothes had been removed and I was covered with thick blankets. That was the last thing that I remembered before I finally fell into unconsciousness, falling into darkness.

T

Everyone just stood there watching her as she fell asleep. Her face was still pale from the cold, her lips blue, and her fingertips faintly black. They had to fix that and fast. Frostbite was never a good thing, but they could reverse it, since it hadn't had a chance to fully develop.

They had brought Hank in to take care of it, since they didn't want anyone sitting around just staring at her the entire time.

Gambit seemed to be bent up the most about it. Scott had watched him the moment that they came in, he had never left her side, not once. Scott could tell that there was something there, but he'd rather not think about it. Not having Jean around anymore was already hard enough.

"Gambit, maybe you should go to bed. I'll watch her," Scott said, trying to get him to stop worrying as much.

Although, Scott already knew what he was going to say to that.

"Non, je ne partirai pas," (1)he muttered, holding Elaine's cold hand in his own, trying to warm it up as Hank took care of her other appendages.

It was definitely a change for everyone. This was the first time that they had seen something like this, and experienced it. Scott had never been that fond of her, but he had his reasons. In all honesty, in a way, she reminded him of Jean. It hurt to see her like that, it really did. She was strong like Jean was, her powers monstrous, and yet she tried her best to control them and help if she could. Although, she was still scared most of the time, and that was one thing that Scott _did_ notice above all else.

"She be alright, Hank?" Gambit asked, letting his eyes shift over to the fury blue man beside him.

"Yes, she'll be fine Remy. Although, I'm afraid that she'll be sick for a while. By listening to her chest, I believe that she might have developed a mild case of pneumonia, but I can't be sure yet," he told him, glancing back down Elaine as he washed her hands with hot water to get the circulation back into her hands.

As they sat there taking care of her, a few students watched. Some of them were curious, others were worried, and some were scared for her.

Meaanwhile, Logan was talking with the Professor about some things. He was fairly upset with himself and needed to sort things out properly. He knew that he had over reacted, but he couldn't help it, there had been such a great need to protect her. He didn't understand why he felt this way, he just did. His instincts told him that he needed to protect her, like part of her was his, but he knew for a fact that it wasn't. He was so confused.

"Logan, you really must calm down," the Professor told him, carefully wheeling his chair beside him.

He hadn't seen Logan this stressed in quite some time. Although, he could partially tell why he was like this, and it actually made him smile.

"I can tell, that you care a great deal for Elaine, Logan. She is like family, am I right?" he inquired, already knowing the answer before Logan would speak it.

Logan finally came to a conclusion upon hearing the Professor's words.

"She's like my kid…" he said quietly, making the Professor smile.

"She's a little girl in your eyes Logan, one that you never had," he said, watching Logan closely. "If you're worried about her Logan, you can always go check on her. I do believe that she's laying in the living area in front of the fireplace at this very moment," the Professor informed him, allowing him to walk out of the room, and down the hall.

When he finally got into the living area, he saw that the Professor was right. Elaine was laying on the couch, pulled right in front of the fireplace, blankets covering her. He also saw that Gambit was nearly asleep with her hand in his. Hank and Scott were standing nearby talking with one another about everything. It was even worse when Scott caught sight of him, making his way over to him the moment that he was in view.

"Logan," Scott started, but Logan only moved away from him.

"Please, no lectures? I already feel bad enough," Logan admitted, trying to move away from Scott.

"I already know that, that's why _I'm_ not gonna be a pain in the ass," he hissed faintly, before walking into another room.

That hit Logan deep, making his fingers curl painfully. Why had he gone and done that? Why did he _have_ to say that?

He wanted to growl and yell, but he didn't want to walk Elaine up. Or Gambit… He sighed heavily as he stepped over to them, glancing down at the two. Elaine, she laid there on the couch with blanket cover her no doubt nearly naked body, while Gambit sat there with her. He sat there holding her hand, his head resting on the couch quietly with his eyes closed. Logan could tell where he had hit him, for his eye was now swollen shut just about, and his cheek held a nasty bruise upon it. He also noticed that once again, he had nothing on his front. Although, he didn't blame him, given the fact that he was so close to the fire.

Logan came up behind the couch, grabbing the top of it with his hands. He looked down at Elaine's sleeping face, guilt washing over him as he did so. He wished that he could take it back, to have gone and not frightened her as he had done, but alas, he could not. So, he decided to leave her there with the Cajun, silently knowing that he would take care of her. And that was exactly what Gambit did, him and Hank, and Scott. The three of them watching out for her so that nothing would happen to her.

**There's chapter 14. I'm sorry that it's a little bit shorter than usual, but that's where I had to cut it off this time. I hope everyone can forgive me for that. Remember to REVIEW and let me know what you thought about this chapter. I'm working on chapter 15 right now. It might be done later tonight, but I doubt it since I'm fighting to keep my eyes open right now. Anyway, happy Easter everyone! :) -keeps eyes pealed for Bite's rabid hamster, tiptoeing back to my room and closing the door- XD**


	15. Chapter 15

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 15**

Today was my second day on the couch. Luckily, I actually had clothes on now. I had flipped out when I had woken up with Gambit sitting there, me under the blankets with no clothes, save for my bra and underwear. It was so embarrassing! I was glad to have so many blankets to cover me.

At the moment, I was just sitting here with Gambit, a crochet hook in my hand, and thick yarn in my lap. I was making something for Kurt and I was having Gambit help me by lending me his hand. I had to have a reference for a shape to make a proper pair of mittens for Kurt. I nearly laughed as I sat there watching Gambit. He actually had a grin on his face, trying to hold in his own laugh at the moment.

"Is this really so amusing to you Remy?" I questioned, continuing to crochet the chain of yarn around his hand.

"Only slightly, cheri," he said, but I knew better.

He found this hilarious at the moment and I could easily tell.

"Or is it that you'd rather prefer me make you a pair instead?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow at him curiously.

"Maybe. You t'ink you could make me one when you done wit' his?" he asked, making me smile.

"Of course Remy," I told him, continuing with my work.

I was actually having fun with this, not to mention, I was also enjoying his company. I had frowned though upon waking up for the first time, finding him sitting there with me with a black eye and swollen cheek. In fact, his left eye had been swollen shut just about. It was rather frightening when I saw it. Poor Remy, he didn't deserve to get hit like that. In fact, he hadn't deserved to get hit at all. My brows furrowed slightly upon thinking about it.

"Somet'ing wrong, cheri?" he asked.

I shook my head no before turning my eyes toward him.

"No, nothing's wrong Remy. I was just thinking is all," I told him, going back to working on the mittens.

I had to keep his hand still a few times because he kept moving it deliberately. For some reason he just loved playing around, trying to see what he could get away with before I decided to correct him. To be honest, it was rather entertaining at times. He would move this way and that, then I'd have to grab his hand and stop him in an attempt to keep him still. He enjoyed pushing my buttons a bit here and there, but it was all in good fun for the most part. Although, when I grabbed his ear, he knew to stay still. That has officially become my secret weapon. In order to get him to listen or stop doing something, all I have to do is grab him by the ear and pull a bit. Granted, not too hard. I mean, I didn't want to actually hurt him or anything, I just wanted him to stop at times.

"Would you stay still?" I asked, making to grab for his ear, causing him to stop immediately.

See, what did I tell you, secret weapon. Although, when I was finally done with the first one, he decided to get up and play around a bit.

I laughed when he started pecking at me with the thing, pretending that his hand was a bird. I swatted at it when he tried gently pecking at my head, grabbing his hand to stop him, but that didn't seem to work. He just kept right with it for a good five minutes before I decided to try and get up. That was a BIG mistake. I ended up collapsing and falling to the floor on my knees. I didn't think that my body would be that weak, but I guess that I was wrong about that one.

Gambit came running over to me immediately, helping me back up and onto the couch.

"You alright, cheri?" his voice was one of concern as he knelt in front of me, his hands resting on my shoulders.

"I didn't think I'd be that weak," I whispered quietly, not exactly realizing that I had even said it in the first place.

"You're not weak, cheri, ya just sick is all," he said, bringing his hand to rest on my cheek.

I stared at him for a moment as he did this. His hand felt so good against my cheek, nice and warm, calming too for some reason or another. I didn't really know what the reason was though.

"Maybe Gambit should let ya rest for now," he said, making to get up.

I grabbed his hand though before he could walk off.

"Wait…it…it's still early. Besides…we still have one more mitten to finish," I said, not wanting him to leave.

I didn't want to be alone, nor did I truly want to sleep at the moment. He looked down at me, unsure as I still held onto his hand. After a moments thought, he sat down next to me on the couch, picking up the yarn and crochet hook for me.

"Alright, cheri, but ya gonna have ta go ta bed some time though," he said with a light chuckle.

I smiled at him, glad that he had decided to stay for a while longer. I needed the company more than he or anyone else realized at the moment.

"Thank you…" I whispered, taking the yarn and crochet hook from him.

I soon started working on the second mitten, the chain of yarn weaving around his wrist, and slowly up his hand. It took a little while, but I eventually got it finished. It was then that I decided to work on a pair for Gambit. He smiled at this, actually deciding to stay still for once. I guess he figured that since they were for him, that he had a reason to stay still this time. It didn't take too long though before I started to grow tired. I started nodding off at random points, quickly shaking myself awake. Gambit found this to be rather amusing to watch. Eventually though, I ended up falling asleep on him, my head resting on his lap much like I had done with Logan before.

T

Gambit sat there watching her as she slept. After countless times of nearly falling asleep on him, he decided to rest her head in his lap. She laid there for a few moments, desperately fighting to keep her eyes open, before she no longer could. He was surprised though when she had curled into him, trying to absorb as much warmth as possible. It made him smile though, a true and genuine smile.

She was growing more comfortable around him each and every day, growing to trust him just a little bit more. He rather liked being in her company and tried to do it as much as possible. In a way, it seemed to lift somewhat of a weight off of him that he hadn't realized was there. Well, actually, that was a lie. He knew that it was there, and had been there for years, he just never knew how to fix it. That is, until now.

Gambit realized that she seemed to have an effect on everyone in the mansion or at least those that knew her anyway. For instance, he knew from experience that Scott was a major asshole, and yet he was starting to lighten up a bit because of Elaine. And Wolverine…Lord have mercy, Wolverine. Gambit had known that man for a long time, and he wasn't easily tamed. Depending on what it was, Logan just didn't give a damn, but that wasn't the case here. There was even something about the Professor that Gambit just couldn't put his finger on, but he knew that it was there.

Unfortunately, he also knew that she had caught Magneto's eye without even trying to. He never did like that man, for he had tried to get Gambit to join him before, but he turned him down saying that his place belonged with the X-Men. With the X-Men was the only place that he truly belonged and he was sure of that. Though he still feared for Elaine. No doubt, it would only be a matter of time before Magneto tried something again, another attempt to take her. Although, he'd never lay a finger on her if Gambit had anything to say about it. He knew how cruel that man could be. Yes, he's all for mutants, but the way that he goes about it is all wrong. The only thing that the man is proving to do is start a war between humans and mutants, and a nasty one at that.

"So much ridin' on one t'ing, cheri," he whispered quietly as he looked down at her.

The other problem that he had come to realize was her powers. Her powers were far greater than she or anyone else realized. Although, Gambit could see it, for they were like his. Still, hers were a bit different. She had more to her powers, more variations that exceeded what she currently used. This is why she was classified as being a class 5 mutant, one of the strongest mutants you could come up against. He just prayed that he would never have to truly fight against her. He wouldn't be able to bare it, knowing that he would hurt her, but he knew that if he had to…that he would have to go through with it. Still, he would try with all his power to avoid such a happening as that at all costs.

"How's she doing?" came a voice from behind him.

He turned his head to find Logan standing there. He seemed a bit on edge as he addressed the Cajun, but Gambit knew why. The events from the other day were still plaguing his mind.

"She doin' a bit better. She tired though…nearly hurt herself," he breathed, shifting his eyes back to Elaine as she continued to lay there with her head in his lap.

"How's your eye?" Logan asked suddenly, startling him a bit.

"Doesn' hurt as much," he told him, glancing at him for a moment with his good eye.

"I really am…sorry about that Gumbo," Logan had a bit of a hard time getting those words out of his mouth, since he wasn't used to apologizing to him.

It kind of shocked Gambit for a moment, but just a moment.

"No you're not, ya just sorry you didn' land d'e punch when we was sparring," he said, giving a very faint laugh.

He could hear Logan grumble something under his breath before walking away. He could hear the sound of Logan's fist slamming against something once he was out of the room.

"Well, cheri, looks like we made d'e Wolverine mad," he chuckled quietly as he brushed a bit of hair out of her face.

He had to admit that in the glow of the fire, she really was pretty. Then again, she had always held a current charm in his eyes. It was in mid thought that he realized she was shifting around a bit, her hand clutching his pants leg. He frowned as he looked down at her, a thin layer of sweat slowly forming on her skin. When he felt her forehead, he found it to be quite hot, making him withdraw his hand. Her pain was obvious to him and he knew that he had to help her.

**Ok, that was chapter 15. I hope that everyone liked it? Please remember to REVIEW? I love hearing everyones feedback, since it's rather encouraging and helps me write. Remember, any comments are welcome. Thanks everyone. -looks around carefully for any sign of the rabid ninja hamster-**


	16. Chapter 16

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 16**

My body was on fire, and the sound of voices filled my head. There was talking, crying, screaming, yelling…so many things at once that I couldn't tell the difference between them. I couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't.

Lord, I can't breathe. I'm so hot… My body hurts all over the place. Logan… Remy… Where is everyone?

_It's so dark. The only thing I can see are the stars above me, shining down upon me. I felt a horrible pain grow inside me as I gazed up at them, almost as if I were being torn apart. It was nearly unbearable. It felt like my mind was being picked apart. Lord, I can't breathe._

"_Come out and play little frail," a voice called teasingly._

_I knew that voice from somewhere, but where? I looked around frantically trying to find the holder of the voice. I bumped into something, then all of a sudden I was thrown backward into a tree, a hand at my throat._

"_There you are little one," he cooed, running the back of his nail over my cheek slowly._

_I froze in fear, unable to move as he had me pinned to the tree by my neck._

"_So much trouble over a single frail," he whispered into my ear slowly._

_A shiver ran up my spine as he did this, chills covering and attacking my skin._

"_W-what do you…w-want?" I choked out._

_He just grinned at me, before throwing me to the ground roughly. I groaned as I looked up at him, gently rubbing my throat._

"_What do I want? What do I want? Why, I want to play," he said, stepping toward me._

_I scooted back quickly, trying to get as far away from him as possible, but it did me little good as I backed up into another tree._

"_Aw…no where to run?" he taunted, advancing on me even closer._

T

"What you mean it has somet'in to do wit' her powers?" Gambit nearly yelled as he threw his hands into the air.

"What I mean Remy, is that her powers seem to be a catalyst of sorts," the Professor explained.

"I don' care 'bout no catalyst. What's happenin to her?" his voice rose a bit in anger and frustration.

This was probably the third time now that her powers had something to do with her health. He was getting tired of seeing this happen to her.

"I'm afraid that I'm not entirely sure Gambit," he admitted, before being interrupted by a yell.

Elaine was yelling in her sleep as though she were fighting for her life. Her hands were turning red.

"Wake her up, quickly!" the Professor ordered, the urgency in his voice overwhelming.

Gambit ran to her, quickly grabbing her wrists in his hands.

"Cheri, wake up. Wake up, cheri!" he said, trying to hold her still.

Her hands continued to glow as he stood there trying to wake her.

"Cheri, wake up!"

"No…no…NO!" she cried, thrashing around violently.

It was like something was trying to attack her and she couldn't seem to get away. She was stuck in that frantic fear, unable to escape.

"Elaine!" he yelled, her eyes shooting wide open a few moments later. "Elaine…" he whispered over the sound of her panting, "cheri…" he pulled her close to him, holding her there as tears slowly fell from her eyes.

As he stood there, the glowing of her hands slowly faded away, leaving her sitting there weakly in Gambit's arms. He just held her there, giving her comfort as best he could. He didn't know what else to do.

"I'm never…going back to sleep again…" she whispered as she attempted to stand, her knees buckling under her weight.

Gambit caught her quickly before she could hit the ground, picking her up in his arms. He looked over at the Professor for a moment.

"I'll take care o' her," he said quietly, before turning and walking out of the room with Elaine in his arms.

Logan watched them go, his eyes never leaving Elaine until she was no longer in his sight.

"Where's he taking her?" he asked, turning to the Professor.

"For now, merely to his room," he told him as he wheeled toward the door. "And Logan, I ask you, please trust him for now?" the Professor asked.

All that Logan could do was nod his head slowly, unsure of what else to do. He was at a loss for words.

T

The walk back upstairs was silent, neither one of us speaking a word. Then again, it's not like I would say much of anything anyway…I was still shaken up from that dream. In fact, it didn't even seem like a dream at all, it was so real. I could still feel the man's hand on my throat, squeezing it painfully. That, and his cold, blood thirsty black eyes staring back at me. The whole thing sent a shiver down my spine and I found myself hiding my face against Gambit's chest.

"It'll be alright, cheri," he cooed softly, shifting me in his arms a bit to open his door.

I didn't say anything as we went inside. He shut and locked the door, before moving over and laying me down on his bed.

"Remy…?" I whispered, watching as he pulled up the chair from his desk.

"Oui, cheri?"

"You…you called me…by my name earlier," I whispered, realizing that he had never called me by my name before.

"So I did…" he said quietly, realizing it himself. "I was worried 'bout ya, cheri, real worried," he said.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered, slowly bringing my knees to my chest.

His brows furrowed as he watched me do this.

"You did nothin' wrong, cheri. Nothin', ya hear me?" he said, his voice firm but gentle, taking my hands in his own. "Cheri, what happened?" he asked slowly, stroking the back of my hand with his thumb.

"I…I don't know…" I whispered, thinking back to my dream. "It was so real…" I breathed, and slowly pulled one if my hands away from his, bringing it to my throat carefully. "I can still feel his hand on my throat," I said, wincing faintly when I touched my throat.

Gambit's brows furrowed considerably when he saw this, carefully taking my hand and pulling it back. What he saw shocked and angered him. There, on my throat was the beginnings of a bruise in the shape of a large hand. He brushed his finger against it gently, pulling back when he saw me wince.

"Cheri, who was d'is man, in your dream?" he asked, his eyes laced with worry.

"A beast like man…the same one that attacked me and Logan," I told him, thinking about when it had happened, along with the physical pain that it had brought to me.

"Sabertooth?" he questioned.

"I think that's what Logan had called him," I said, letting my eyes travel to his for a moment.

I could almost see the gears turning in his head as he sat there. It was like he was trying to solve a puzzle in his head. Likely a very dangerous puzzle.

"Remy…" I whispered, "I'm scared…" I whimpered.

Tears slowly started to pour from my eyes as I sat there on his bed.

"Cheri…" he sat down on the bed beside me and pulled me to him, holding me and shushing me softly.

I just cried, unable to stop it. I was already sick and now this was happening. This whole thing was scaring me and I was afraid that there was something truly horrible behind it all.

T

He sat there holding her for a long while, just sitting and stroking her hair in an attempt to calm her. It seemed to help a great deal, but she still cried. When he had seen the place on her throat, he had immediately gone livid. Someone had harmed Elaine, and that was unacceptable in his book. Whoever had done this had to be stopped, but unfortunately, he couldn't do anything about it tonight. In fact, he didn't even have the will to leave her here as she was. She needed him too much right now, and regardless of how furious he was at this unknown person, he wasn't about to go and leave her alone.

While sitting there, he had quietly managed to push his shoes off, slowly coming to lay down on the bed with her. He moved so that she laid against him, his arms around her, holding and comforting her. He could tell that this whole thing was both physically and emotionally draining for her. He would have to do something special for her on Christmas, something that she'd never forget, something that would make her smile from ear to ear. He already had an idea in his head, but in order for it to work, he'd need some help.

Gambit was slightly surprised at how calmly and easily she had taken to laying with him. She hadn't backed away or gotten up or anything, she just allowed herself to lay there with him, his arms placed around her protectively. She was starting to develop a certain need for his company. She always did hate being alone, but she never showed it or more rather, no one really ever took notice to it. Gambit did though because he was just like her in that regard.

"Remy…" she whispered his name, her hand curled around a small bit of his shirt, her head resting against his chest.

He had no doubt that she was listening to the sound of his heart beating rhythmically. He was sure that hers was doing the same, especially, since she had calmed down quite a bit.

"Don' worry, cheri, I not goin' anywhere," he assured her, going back to stroking her hair gently.

Doing this seemed to put there at ease.

"Not without you," he whispered quietly.

After a while, he heard her breathing mellow out exceptionally, her chest slowly rising and falling against his. The sight of her eyes closed confirmed that she was finally asleep.

He smiled faintly as he looked down at her. She truly was beautiful. With the crimson streaks of red in her dark hair, and those reddish eyes of hers, she was something else. She was one of a kind in his mind. He sighed as he closed his eyes, trying his best to relax, which wasn't that hard with her in his arms.

He woke back up somewhere around 2 in the morning to her shaking. She had started struggling a bit in his arms, her brow covered in a light layer of sweat. Even as her hands started to glow red, he held her against him, concentrating on dulling her powers.

"Cheri, it's okay," he whispered in her ear.

That didn't seem to work as well as he had hoped, watching as she struggled a bit more. It was then that he noticed her arm, lifting his hand to see it, finding what looked to be a slowly forming bruise in the shape of a hand. The problem was, it wasn't from him, it was far too big to be from his hand.

"Cheri?" he tried yet again to wake her up, shaking her a bit.

She made no move to wake.

"Cheri, you have to wake up," he said, the worry in his voice coming out.

"Remy…" she whimpered in her sleep, struggling further against whatever was plaguing her mind.

Her voice came out as one of pain. Whatever it was it was hurting her. Finding his original attempts to be failing, he went to the next one.

"Elaine…" he whispered in her ear, "Elaine…you need ta wake up, cheri, wake up from d'at dream o' yours," he told her, watching as she fought a bit more.

He sighed heavily, moving to rest his forehead against hers.

"Wake up, cheri, ya have ta wake up," he said, kissing her blazing forehead.

The moment that he did that, it was like something changed. Her struggling stopped for a moment, allowing her to breathe properly. She then let out a whimper, before slowly opening her eyes a minute later.

Her face was pale, but a bit red from hyperventilating. Her eyes were scared and frantic, shifting quickly all over the place. She was tired and scared, shaking in his arms.

"Cheri…"

**There's chapter 16. I hope that everyone enjoyed this? Things are slowly becoming dangerous for Elaine. Apparently, Gambit has a surprise for her though, but she'll have to wait til Christmas. Please remember to REVIEW? I love hearing everyones feedback. I'd especially like to see what everyone thought about this chapter. I thought long and hard before writing this one, so I hope that I did good. Remember, your reviews keep me writing. Thanks everyone! -eyes flit back and forth warily- No hamster, I think I'm safe. -runs- XD**


	17. Chapter 17

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 17**

I thought that I was going to die before I finally woke up. When I opened my eyes, I saw Remy laying there with his arms around me. His face looked pained as he stared at me, worry and concern in his eyes. He almost looked lost as he laid there.

"Cheri…" he whispered, closing his eyes as he placed his forehead against mine.

"Remy…" I could feel tears coming to my eyes.

"Is alright, cheri, is alright," he said, holding me against him protectively.

I knew that I was NEVER going back to sleep. I was afraid of running into _him_ again or possibly someone else. I was scared for my life at this point, it was absolutely terrifying. Each and every time that I closed my eyes, images replayed in my mind. That beastly man towering over me, fangs bared, claws ready to strike. Worst of all, I was sore again, and it was coming from my arm. Against my better judgment, I glanced down at it, my fears confirmed. It was there, the bruise, the large shapely hand that had once been there though gone now, still marked my body. I was truly terrified now. All that I could do was cry, nothing else seemed to come to mind at that moment, save for the tears that rapidly began to fall from my eyes.

"Don' cry, cheri, please don' cry," Gambit pleaded, stroking my cheek softly.

I just couldn't help it. I was so scared. I wanted this madness to stop.

"Why don' we go see d'e Professor, cheri? See if he can help," he suggested, sitting up with me a bit.

I looked at him for barely a moment, nodding my head faintly, not trusting my own voice at this point.

"Come on d'en," he started, but paused for a moment, looking down at me. "Actually, want me ta go get Wolverine? I go get d'e Professor after d'at," he said.

I nodded quietly, my eyes still watery as I sat there, pulling my knees to my chest. He brought his hand up to my face, resting it gently on my cheek.

"It'll be alright, cheri, I promise," he said, trying to calm me.

I sat there quietly, fighting back the urge to cry again as he left the room. I barely even registered the sound of voices exchanging back and forth as I sat there hugging myself. After what seemed like an eternity in my mind, the sound of footsteps came running toward the room, stopping abruptly in front of it.

Logan stood there with a look of worry plastered on his face as he saw me, slowly moving toward me into the room.

"Kid?" he called hesitantly, sitting down on the bed and placing a hand on my shoulder.

I barely even lifted my head, my eyes puffy and redder than usual.

"Elaine…" he sighed, before pulling me to him.

It was then that I started crying again, sobbing, and gasping for air as I buried myself in his arms. I wanted escape in the worst way possible. Unfortunately, with Gambit out of the room, it didn't take Logan long to notice the bruise on my arm. He saw the size and shape of the hand print, a growl slowly rising from his throat.

"It wasn't Remy," I whispered quietly, trying to stop crying.

Logan snorted.

"I know it wasn't, but I know who it was," he said, the growing irritation and anger evident in his voice.

I was almost scared at the sound of it, but I knew it wasn't directed toward me, so I was good. I just couldn't stop shaking though as tremor after tremor hit my body. My dreams were coming to light in the worst way and I couldn't do a thing about it.

"Elaine, dear?" I looked up to find the Professor, Gambit standing by his side.

The Professor gave him a subtle nod, allowing him to walk over to me. I felt like a child as Gambit knelt down before me, taking my face gently in his hands as he whipped away my tears. My vision blurred as I looked down at him, my voice stuck in my throat. I mouthed his name quietly, trying to hold back my tears, but more came to fall down my delicate cheeks.

"Shh…shh…shush now, cheri, is alright," he cooed softly, stroking my cheek with his thumb.

It calmed me down a bit to the point that I was no longer gasping for air, but merely sat with sniffles and hiccups. He smiled warmly at me seeing how calm I was, finding something there that he hadn't noticed before.

I could have fallen asleep right there in front of Gambit, so easily I could have, but I didn't. No, I sat there staring into his red and black eyes, losing myself. I felt a spark of power rise inside of me as I stared at him, but I didn't know what it was from. All that I knew was that I felt that strange spark inside of me.

"Remy…" I whispered, wincing when I spoke.

My throat was still sore and throbbing, the feeling of the bruise remaining on my esophagus.

"Professor," Gambit called, nodding toward me.

The man then rolled over to us, gently taking my face in his warm hands. I could hear the sound of his breath being drawn in quickly upon seeing my neck.

"Dear Lord…" he whispered, carefully brushing his finger against my neck.

I sucked in a large amount of air when he did this, pain searing my skin. I had to bite back more tears as I sat there. Though gentle as he was, it still hurt with the slight pressure that was placed there. I could feel him faintly trailing his fingertips over the mark on my throat, being as careful as he possibly could. He could even see the imprint of nail marks on my neck as well, faint punctures from those black claws. I nearly cried when he ran his finger over one spot causing his brows to furrow. One spot was already a deep purple, almost black, and it was terribly painful to the touch.

"Professor…" I whispered in a pained voice, the fear apparent in my voice.

All that he could do was stare at me as he sat there in his chair, a concerned air around him. His eyes and fingers then trailed down to my arm, assessing the damage. The bruise was becoming more prominent as the minutes rolled by. My face scrunched up when he touched it, sending images of my dream back to me, causing me to cry.

"Is alright, cheri, is alright," Gambit whispered softly as he brushed his hand gently against my cheek.

I could feel my stomach churning and twisting painfully, bile slowly forming as I quickly placing my hand over my mouth.

"Trash can," I choked out quickly.

Logan quickly retrieved it, placing it in front of me just as I began to throw up. Stress does wonders to the body doesn't it? I groaned as I sat there, body hunched over with my head down as Gambit held my hair back while rubbing my back gently. I soon found myself leaning toward him till eventually, my head was laying in his lap, my eyes closed. He just sat there holding one of my hands, while stroking my hair with his other hand. Logan and the Professor sat there watching this quietly. They really didn't know what to do, or at least Logan didn't.

"I think that I shall have to give her a sedative," the Professor said, slowly wheeling toward the door.

After that, the Professor left, leaving Gambit and Logan behind to watch me.

"What's going to happen to me…?" I whispered quietly, barely keeping my eyes open.

"I don' know, cheri, but Gambit promise ya one t'ing," he started, causing me to turn and look up at him, "I be wit' ya till d'e end o' d'is," he promised, making me smile a bit.

A few minutes later, the Professor came back in with something in his hand. It was a needle.

"Elaine," he called my name, causing me to shift my gaze toward him.

When I met his eyes, I knew what it was. It was time for the sedative, time to go to sleep, time to rest.

"Remy…Logan…" I whispered their names as the Professor gently took hold of my arm, cleaning it with an alcohol pad, before pressing the needle into my skin.

The sedative in question made quick work in tiring me. Soon enough, I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open. Both Logan and Gambit were watching me carefully, watching me fight against this sedatives persuasive methods. It was becoming a tiresome act to attempt. Just simply sleeping was a much better decision in my mind. Shortly after, my will power was no more, and sleep came quickly. I was soon sent into a visionless darkness, no light, no color, no nothing, just darkness. That's where I laid for what would seem an endless cold eternity.

T

Gambit sat there quietly with Elaine's head in his lap. He sat there running his fingers quietly through her hair. It was so soft to the skin of his hand.

"Cheri," he sighed quietly, closing his eyes as he leaned back against his headboard, Logan and the Professor watching him. "What we do now?" he asked, not looking at either one of them.

"I suppose all that we can do is merely let her sleep," the Professor said as he turned toward Elaine's sleeping form, "but…I would like to try and see what has been bothering her," he said.

Logan turned to look at him, shifting a bit.

"You're going to read her mind, aren't you?" Logan asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. Normally, I would only do such a thing with her permission, but…given the situation it needs to be done for her safety," he explained as he placed his hands gently on either side of Elaine's face.

T

The images came in flashes as he sifted through her mind, searching for the thing that had been causing her pain. Her mind itself was like a giant maze, with so many turns and dead ends, he started to wonder if he would ever find what he was looking for. It was as if things had been scrambled around somehow.

As he continued to sift through her mind, a few memories made their way to him.

_Rain pelted the ground as lightning flashed and stretched through the sky. The scared and fearful cries of a young girl could be heard as she shivered in the cold. She was crying. She couldn't have been more than 13 years of age, and she was outside in the cold, banging on the door of a house._

"_P-please l-l-let me in?! I'll be good," she cried, letting out a yelp as her ears were met with an ominous crash of thunder. "P-p-please?" she begged, falling to her knees as she hugged herself, trying her best to retain any amount of warmth._

_A couple stood by the front window looking out at her, a hate filled look on their faces as they stared at her. All that she could do was sit out in the pouring rain as the storm continued on, pelting and bruising her skin with its icy touch. The scene itself was completely nerve wrecking and that's putting it nicely. What was even worse was that the neighbors merely turned a blind eye to the entire thing, leaving the poor girl to sit in the cold all night long, only to be taken to the hospital the following day with a case of moderate hypothermia._

The Professor felt himself shiver as he passed through that memory, only to be met with another memory from her mind.

_Headstones everywhere you turned. That was all that could be seen, save for the occasional flowers that decorated them._

_A little girl was knelt in front of a double burial headstone with her head down. She had a few bandages wrapped around her arms and legs, a few bandages on her face even. She sat there crying in front of the recently turned soil, hands curling into the dirt, the dirt caking underneath of her nails._

_The headstone read the names _Helen _and _John Conners_, her parents of 12 years._

_The poor girl nearly lashed out when someone tried to touch her to pull her away. She didn't want to leave, in fact, she didn't even want to be alive anymore._

_In her mind, she killed her parents, it was her fault that they were gone. She blamed herself for the whole incident, every bit of it. She just couldn't stop blaming herself for their deaths, even though it wasn't entirely her fault, but merely an accident. This young girl saw it as murder._

Just like the one before, it made him shiver as it faded away. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find what he was looking for, almost as if it were somehow being blocked and hidden from him. The only thing that he managed to find was past memories and newer ones, but that was it, he couldn't find the source of the problem, but he knew that it was there somewhere.

**Ok everyone, that was the long awaited chapter 17. Sorry it took so long. I've been really busy lately, in fact, I start my next term of college Tuesday. Anyway...please remember to REVIEW? I'd love feedback for this chapter. Also, chapter 18 should be up soon, since I already know what I want to write for it. Remember, the more REVIEWs, the better the chapters. Bye bye everyone and thanks for the support and reading. :) -eyes shift around for hamster before whispering- "I'm typing number 18 RIGHT now" XD**


	18. Chapter 18

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 18**

A few days later, I woke up in the same place in which I had been sleeping each night. I woke up in Gambit's bed, laying beside him.

Each night, the Professor had to give me a special sedative to make me go to sleep. It was one that blocked out the terrifying dreams that I've been having. Just to make sure that I'm still stable through the night, the Professor assigned Gambit to watch me and stay by my side. So, basically, it meant sleeping in his room each night.

Gambit was a perfect gentleman though. He never tried anything. The only thing that he would do at times was hold me in his arms as I slept. He said that that way, he would always know that I was safe. I knew that there was more to it, but I didn't bother to ask or push the matter. I was just happy having someone that I could trust to be with me and keep me company, and currently, that someone was Gambit.

Today was special, today was Christmas Eve, meaning that tomorrow was Christmas day. I was so excited that I could barely contain it. I knew that I had to keep quiet though, since I didn't want to wake Gambit up. I still had things to do, so I left his room and went to mind.

I smirked upon opening my closet, pulling back the clothes, and staring down at the unwrapped gifts. I still had yet to wrap them and I had to do it before tonight. So without any further thoughts, I began wrapping them, though not before locking my door of course. After all, I didn't want anyone to come in and find me in the middle of wrapping their presents.

It took me a bit to get everything situated, but once I did, it was no problem. I had actually debated on having Gambit help me. In fact, it didn't sound like a bad idea, but that meant that I'd have to get his present or should I say presents, wrapped first.

I looked under my bed to find his bag in the far corner, before sighing heavily. An idea then popped into my head.

I snuck back into Gambit's room, being as quiet as I could. He was still asleep, one arm over his eyes, while the other laid on his stomach.

"Sleepy head," I whispered as I snatched his bo staff and ran back to my room.

I was nearly jumping for joy as I locked my door, going in front of my bed, and then reaching under it with his bo staff. It took a few tried, but I finally got the plastic handles around the end of it and pulled it out.

"Finally," I sighed, laying Gambit's bo staff on my bed as I pulled his stuff out of the bag.

I smiled as I looked down at all of the cards, he was going to love this or at least I hoped so anyway.

"Of course he will," I told myself, pulling the items into a box that I had selected.

The box itself was about the size of a shoe box. I knew that it was a little bit big, but still. I nearly laughed as I finished wrapping it, tying it up with a piece of yarn. I knew that that would undoubtedly get his attention tomorrow morning. I made sure to wrap the special set up by itself, wrapping the box that it came in, in a nice piece of shiny silver wrapping paper. When I was done with that, I tied a red ribbon around it, curling the ends of it sharply with a pair of scissors.

"There, all finished," I said, a half hearted smile on my face.

I honestly wasn't used to this anymore, so in a way, it was actually new to me.

A couple minutes later, I heard a knock on my door, and the attempted turning of the knob.

"Cheri, you in d'ere?" came Gambit's voice.

"Um, hold on!" I called, quickly stashing his presents underneath of my bed.

I got up and opened my door, finding him standing there leaning on the door frame, his hand racking through his messy hair as he yawned.

"Sleep well, Remy?" I asked.

"How could I not wit' you by my side, cheri?" he asked, making me blush a bit.

He gave me a small smile when he saw this, before looking over my shoulder and finding his bo staff on my bed. He raised a brow in question as he pointed to it.

"What you got d'at for, cheri?" he asked curiously.

I just put on a smile for him.

"Sorry about that, Remy, I had to borrow it to get something down from the closet," I explained, even though it wasn't a complete lie, since I had to use it to knock some boxes down from the shelf in my closet.

"What you need get down d'at Gambit couldn' help wit'?" he asked.

"Boxes," I stated plainly.

"Ah, so you doin' some last minute wrappin' d'en," he said, eyeing the wrapping paper that was laying on my floor.

"Yeah. Actually…" I started, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks a bit, "I was wondering…"

"Oui, cheri?" he nudged a bit for me to continue.

"Could you…could you help me wrap everything?" I asked shyly.

He let out a loose laugh, before throwing his arm around my small shoulders.

"Course, cheri, anyt'ing for you," he proclaimed, smiling at me.

That one smile was all that it took to spark something inside of me, but I just didn't know what that something was. So, I just sat down with him on the floor wrapping presents.

For a while we sat there, him helping me with the wrapping, and us just joking around. It turned into him playing around even more and me eventually pulling his ear.

"Come on now, cheri, I's just kiddin'," he said, yelping as I pulled his ear.

I just stuck my tongue out at him, before letting go, and turning back to wrapping presents.

He sighed slightly, before moving beside me and throwing his arm around my shoulders.

"Remy, what are you doing?" I asked as I rose an eyebrow at him, only to have him quickly ruffle my hair. "Hey!" I yelled, watching as he sprung up and ran out of my room, taking my jacket with him.

I quickly shoved everything under my bed before going after him, slipping my shoes on first, before shutting my door behind me.

"Remy! Get back here!" I called as I raced after him down the hallways.

He just laughed as we turned a corner.

"Dang you and your long legs, Remy!" I shouted as I laughed, nearly tripping over my feet as I continued to run after him.

Once we got outside, I somehow managed to use my powers to catch up to him, tackling him to the snowy ground.

"Give me that!" I laughed, snatching my jacket from his hands and shrugging it on, zipping it up a moment later.

I then made a snow ball and threw it at him, hitting him right in the face. He yelped, before ducking out of the way of another one. I quickly slipped my gloves on from my pocket, before making another snowball and throwing it at him. I aimed right for his butt as he ran, hitting my target, before rolling around on the ground laughing hysterically.

"D'as it!" he called, running toward me with snow in his hands.

I squealed as I tried to get away, but he caught me, tossing snow down the back of my shirt. I screamed upon feeling it against the back of my skin, squirming around, and yelling. He just stood there laughing at me.

Once I finally got it out of my shirt, I glared at him. I could feel my powers slowly start to act up, before a snowball hit me in the back of the head. I turned around to find Scott standing there with a smug look on his face.

"Cool it, Nova," he said, confusing me a bit.

"Nova?"

"Yeah, it's your new name," he said, leaning down and picking up a bit more snow in his hands, forming it into a snowball.

I quickly ran behind Gambit for shelter as he threw it, hitting Gambit instead of me.

"Ah, cheri!" he exclaimed, looking behind him as he brushed snow off of himself.

"Save me, Remy," I pleaded, hugging him around the waist from behind, burying my face in his back.

He laughed for a moment, before grabbing some snow.

"No one hurts my cheri," he said, before chucking a snowball at Scott, and hitting him in the face.

I had to stifle a laugh as I stood behind Gambit, still holding onto him for warmth.

"Outta d'e way, cheri!" he said quickly, pulling me to him as he ducked down on the ground to avoid a snowball.

I blushed as I looked at him, being so close to him was slightly embarrassing. He just smiled at me, before rolling over to avoid me getting hit in the head with another snowball. This made my face go red.

"Oi! Don' you have no manners, Scott? Don' hit a man when he's down, especially, when he got a pretty lady he protectin'," he said, sending a scowl Scott's way.

Once again I blushed. He thought that I was pretty…

"You okay, cheri?" he asked upon seeing my red face.

I quickly nodded my head, before trying to stand up. I only resulted on having my foot catch on his leg, causing me to fall on him.

Now my face really _was_ red. Red with pure utter embarrassment for the fact of landing on him.

He just chuckled as he held me up a bit by my arms, staring into my eyes.

"Remy?"

"Oui, cheri?"

"You have snow in your hair," I said quietly, looking away for a moment.

"You're right, cheri, I do," he laughed, leaning up a big and shaking the snow from his hair.

He then placed his forehead against mine, our noses touching.

"Let's get him, cheri," he grinned, watching as I nodded my head quickly.

After that, we broke apart and got up quickly, grabbing snow in our hands. We then threw the snowballs at Scott, causing him to duck out of the way and hide behind a tree.

"Cheri, make a fort for Gambit, would ya?" Gambit asked as he scooped up some more snow, tossing it in Scott's direction, and hitting the tree beside his head.

I nodded my head and began quick work at building a fort for us. We needed shelter from Scott's reign of snowballs and it would provide it for us. It was hard though when parts ended up falling down on itself, but I kept at it, packing it down as much as I possibly could. I squealed when one came toward me, missing my head by mere inches.

"Hey now, d'at's my cheri," he said, running after Scott, who in turn fled across the courtyard.

I laughed as I watched this, but was still caught off guard when he had said _my cheri_. I mean… how was I his? We were just friends, right?

I sighed quietly as I continued to make the fort, packing the snow as best as I could, before I got hit in the head again.

"Agh! Stop attacking me!" I scowled, turning to my attacker, only to find Logan standing there with a smug look on his face. "L-Logan!" I exclaimed, my face going beat red.

"So, I'm attacking you am I?" he questioned with mock curiosity.

"Um…I…" I stuttered a bit, not knowing what to say.

"Need some help kid?" he gestured toward the fort that I was making.

All I did was nod quickly, turning my eyes away, and going back to the fort. I was still so very embarrassed at how I had reacted. I squealed though when he pushed my face into the snow, chuckling.

"L-Logan," I shouted, rubbing my face incessantly, trying to warm it from the cold.

I then heard the sound of Scott and Gambit approaching, quickly ducking down as Gambit jumped over the fort, sliding on his back once he hit the ground.

"Bonjour, cheri," he greeted with a smile.

I could hear the sound of a snowball hitting the fort, one that had been meant for Gambit's head.

"And I thought that _you_ were chasing _him_," I stated, raising a brow at him curiously.

"Um, well, ya see, cheri…um…'bout d'at," he started, trying to find the right words, but they only came out in a jumbled heap.

We both looked up for a moment, before I quickly pulled Gambit down by the back of his long coat, avoiding a well aimed snowball from Scott.

"Merci, cheri," he thanked me, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

I could hear the sound of Logan laughing at him.

"Well, Gumbo, what are ya going to do now, huh?" he asked, laughing at him still.

"D'is," he said, hitting Logan in the face with a snowball.

He was then met with a growl.

"Uh-oh…" I whispered, slowly crawling away as quietly as I could, only to be picked up by Scott by the back of my jacket.

"L-let me go," I yelled, my eyes going wide as snowballs soon went flying all over the place.

There were no longer teams. It was an all out war, either hit or be hit. Everyone was on their own.

I soon found myself taking refuge behind a tree, hiding myself there from the terrors of winter war. No matter where you looked, a snowball was being thrown, but at least it was better than having fists being thrown at each other. In fact, Gambit's eye was still bruised. Although, at least he could see out of it now which was a relief. It would probably be bruised for at least another 2 weeks though knowing Logan.

"Ah!" I yelled, ducking down as a snowball nearly hit me.

I scowled at my attacker, but it soon fell when I found that it had merely been Gambit.

"Don't scare me like that, Remy," I said, holding my hand over my heart.

"Sorry 'bout d'at, cheri, didn' mean ta scare ya," he said, smiling at me as he ran over to me, shielding me from an oncoming reign of snowballs.

I smiled up at him weakly as he did this.

"Thanks," I whispered.

"Any time, cheri, but now is Gambit's turn," he said, grabbing up some snow and chucking it at the other two.

It went on like this for a few more hours until we finally called it a quits and went inside. I was completely freezing once I got inside. My ears were red along with my nose and cheeks.

"Man kid, calm down would ya?" Logan asked as he watched me pace back and forth through the living room door way, rubbing my arms and trying to stay warm. "Stop that," he said, walking over to me and grabbing my arms.

I sighed quietly as I looked at him.

"But Logan," I whined, "I'm cold," I said.

"Yeah, well…" he stopped as he noticed Scott pointing to something above our heads. "Oh, HELL, no," he said, looking up at the mistletoe.

My face went red. Scott was nearly bursting with laughter as I glared at him. My glare then turned into a smirk as I walked over to him, pulling him under it as well. Both Logan and Scott went bug eyed causing me to laugh.

"_Now,_ give each other a man hug," I ordered, watching them comply hesitantly.

I then pulled them down a bit by their arms, kissing them on the cheek, before pushing them away.

"Now, shut up and sit down," I ordered.

I had seen the look that Gambit held on his face when he was the three of us and smiled softly, motioning him over.

"Come here, Remy," I said softly, taking his hand and then kissing his cheek. "Better?" I asked, watching a bright smile form on his face.

"Oui, cheri. D'at made Gambit REAL happy," he said, smiling from ear to ear, before placing a kiss on my cheek.

The moment he did that, my face went red, and I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. In the background I could hear Scott stifle a laugh, the same with Logan to be honest. Although, Logan was a bit quieter, but still.

"Maybe d'is help," he said, placing his long coat on my shoulders.

On me, it dragged on the ground by a good…of I don't know, 4 to 5 inches maybe? That didn't seem to bother him though as he placed his arms around my shoulder and led me upstairs to my room.

"We still got stuff ta wrap," he said, reminding me of what we had left unfinished.

"Oh no!" I cried, running forward quickly and into my room.

I pulled everything out from under my bed as he closed the door behind him, locking it like before.

"Now, why don' we finish d'is up?" he suggested as he sat down with me, taking some of the wrapping paper in his hands.

I gave him a small smile, nodding my head as I opened boxes up and placed stuff inside. Every box had at least two things in them, but no one had more than one box to open, save for Gambit.

About another hour later, we were finished with wrapping everything and took them downstairs. I swayed a bit as I walked, fatigue slowly taking over me with a yawn.

"You alright, cheri?" Gambit asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded quietly as we sat down, placing everything under the tree. I had made to hide the smallest of the two boxes for him in one of the branches at the base of the tree. I didn't want him seeing it.

"Oui, Remy," I said, making him smile a bit.

"Oui, Remy?" he asked," So, you trying ta speak French on me now, cheri?" he asked with a loose laugh.

"Maybe," I said with another yawn.

He took notice to this and slid the remaining presents underneath the tree, before me by the waist, and turning me toward him.

"Remy?" I questioned with tired eyes.

"Come, cheri, time for bed," he said, picking me up in his arms and carrying me.

I made little protest as he took me back up to my room, nearly falling asleep in his arms since I was so tired.

Once he got to my room, he placed me down on my bed carefully, pulling the sheets up to my chin.

"Good night, cheri," he whispered, kissing my forehead before he got up.

"Night…Remy," I whispered quietly before falling asleep, no bad dreams following me this time.

**Finally, the long awaited chapter 18! I hope that everyone liked it? I had a lot of fun writing it. Please remember to REVIEW? I love hearing everyone's feedback about my story. Apparently, I currently have someone addicted to it and hopefully they'll be very happy with this new chapter. :) Anyway, thanks for everyone's support. Any and all reviews are welcome. -looks around for hamster- Hope you liked the chapter Bite. XD On to chapter 19!!! -Runs off to continue writing-**


	19. Chapter 19 part 1

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 19**

**Part 1**

**Christmas and a Night to Remember**

The next morning I woke up with a yawn and a smile on my face. It was Christmas day. Today was Christmas! I couldn't believe it, it was actually Christmas.

"Christmas…finally," I whispered quietly to myself, a small smile on my face.

I then looked over at my clock to find that it was around 10 in the morning.

"Oh no! Everyone's probably up already," I cried, running out of my room, but stopped shortly after that.

I looked at Gambit's room, going over to it and knocking. I was surprised when I was met with an answer.

"Oui?" he called.

Wow, he was actually up and awake this time.

"Can I come in?" I asked, waiting for him to respond.

"Actually…" he started, opening the door, "I was just getting ready to come get you," he said, smiling down at me.

"Oh, really?" I inquired.

"Oui, cheri," he said, placing his arm around my shoulders as he closed his door, leading me down the hallway.

It looked like he had something behind his back, but I couldn't tell what it was. I just know that once we got downstairs and into the living room, it disappeared from behind him and went somewhere else that I had no clue about.

"Remy, how long have you been up?" I asked curiously as we stood by the tree.

"For a while now, cheri," he informed me as I moved over to sit on the couch. "Now, Gambit be right back," he said, walking off into the kitchen.

I smiled as he left, pulling my knees up onto the couch. I gazed over at the Christmas tree as it stood there in all its glory. It was decorated so beautifully with garland, lights, bulbs, tinsel, and all sorts of ornate ornaments. From silver to gold, to red and green, blues and purples. Every color rested or hung upon it beautifully. There was even a small mechanical train that continuously made its way around the bottom of the tree, gears moving, and small lights blinking. Everything was placed so neatly and carefully.

"Here ya go, cheri," Gambit said behind me as he held out a cup for me.

I took it, breathing in the scent. Hot chocolate.

"Careful, is hot, cheri," he warned as he came to sit beside me on the couch, a small tray of cookies in his hand.

They looked like they were freshly made.

"Did you…" I started.

"Oui, cheri, Gambit made d'em," he said, a look of satisfaction on his face from his accomplishment. "Try one, cheri," he insisted, holding the tray out to me.

I looked down at it for a moment, before picking up a little tree covered in green and red sprinkles. I took a bite out of it, chewing it slowly. I could feel the corners of my lips pulling as I closed my eyes. It was delicious, absolutely delicious. I gave him a small smile after swallowing.

"Amazing, Remy, absolutely amazing," I said, watching him grin from ear to ear.

"Why t'ank you, cheri, t'ank you," he said.

I swear as I looked at him, I didn't think that he could smile anymore than that, but as everyone else soon started to pile in his smile grew. The first was the Professor, followed short after by Logan, then Scott. Next, was Hank and Storm. A few more students came in to join us for a short while, before leaving with their friends and going somewhere else, probably back to their rooms for a bit.

"Iceman," Logan called, turning as a young man entered the room, following a girl with a white streak in her hair.

"Logan," they both said, the girl running forward and hugging him.

"Merry Christmas," she said.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Rouge," he said, returning the gesture.

I then watched as Rouge and Iceman came over to the couch, standing behind it and looking down at us.

"So, feeling better?" he asked.

I gave him an awkward nod, watching Rouge come around the couch and hold out her hand to me, wanting to shake hands.

"Elaine, right?"

"Um, yeah," I nodded my head, shaking her gloved hand.

It was rather odd the way that they were acting, then I remembered something.

"Hey, where's Kurt?" I asked, looking around at everyone.

They too looked around, but Kurt was nowhere to be found. I then turned to Gambit, but he just shrugged his shoulders.

"I ain't seen him, cheri," he said, casting his eyes around for the blue man in question.

I sighed for a moment, before getting up off of the couch. Gambit looked at me with a questionable look as I got up, wanting to know what I was doing.

"I'm going to go find Kurt," I said, walking out of the living room and heading upstairs.

I slowly made my way to Kurt's room, knocking on the door.

"Kurt?" I called, but received no answer, save for the sound of faint movement. "Kurt? I'm coming in," I said, before opening the door.

The room was pitch black, no light coming in at all, save for the bit of light that crept into the room upon opening the door.

I looked around, my hand on the wall as I fumbled for the light switch. When I finally turned it on, I found Kurt sitting in the corner of his room praying.

"Kurt," I sighed in relief, walking over to him.

I knelt down and placed my hands on his shoulders, looking at him.

"Kurt, how come you're not downstairs?" I asked, staring at him, his eyes shining brightly in the bit of darkness that was in the room.

"Vould it not be better if I vaz not zere?" he asked, turning his eyes to glance around the room.

I sighed quietly, holding my breath for a moment.

"Kurt…" I whispered, " we _want_ you down there with us," I told him, catching his attention.

"Vhat?"

I smiled faintly, pulling him up so that he was no longer sitting on the floor.

"Besides, I have a present waiting for you downstairs," I told him, smiling when I caught the spark in his eyes.

"You have a…prezent for me?" he asked slowly, his tail curling with curiosity.

"Yes, there's a present waiting for you downstairs," I assured him, carefully pulling him toward the door and out into the hallway.

It was like he was still scared to be around people, then again, I guess I was still just as scared at time. I was getting better with it though, even if only a little bit at a time, but I was getting somewhere with it. I suppose, I was mainly scared of normal people. Actually…that's a lie. I'm scared of nearly everyone. I'm scared that I'll be turned away the same way I was turned away as a child by so many people, human and mutant alike.

I continued to think about all of this as we walked back downstairs and into the living room. Gambit caught sight of me as we came in, apparently noticing the off look on my face as I thought about everything. I never did come back over to sit on the couch with him, so instead, he came over to me.

"You alright, cheri?" he asked, his voice concerned.

"Oh, um…yeah…yeah, I'm fine," I said, looking elsewhere for a moment.

I heard him sighed, before he took hold of my hand and led me back over to the tree, sitting me down in front of it. He then knelt behind me, placing his arms over my shoulders, his chin resting on top of my head. I felt slightly awkward, but in a way, I didn't.

"So, who's ready for presents?" he asked, looking around at everybody.

Soon, everyone was seated around the tree, pulling out gifts and exchanging them. I couldn't help, but to smile a bit at everyone. I then noticed Gambit pulling his present that had a string of yarn tied around it. He looked at me with a questionable look before laughing and tugging on the string. It fell from the package soon after onto the floor, followed shortly after by the wrapping paper and lid.

I saw the look on his face as he pulled away a bit more paper inside of the box, a smile growing on his face.

"Cheri," he said, turning he eyes to me and smiling.

The corners of my lips pulled as he pulled me into a hug, making my face go slightly red.

"Gambit was runnin' low on cards," he said, looking down at all of them, almost like a kid in a candy store.

He took one deck out, inspecting it, checking the flexibility and texture.

"D'ey're perfect," he said.

I nearly laughed at this, but held it in. It really did make me happy seeing him like this, so happy.

"Oh, Kurt," I said, jumping up from my spot beside Gambit.

I grabbed a present from under the tree and brought it over to the couch where he was sitting, gently placing it into his hands with a smile. He looked at it curiously, examining the square box, before beginning to unwrap it. I stepped back a bit, my back hitting Gambit's now standing chest. I looked at him for a moment, smiling slightly, turning back toward Kurt.

The moment that the lid was lifted off and the paper on the floor, it was like time just stopped for a split second. The look on his face, it was like he didn't know what to do as he took everything out of the box.

I could hear Gambit stifling a laugh which was ended by a faint elbow by me. He gave a quiet laugh at that action and just placed his arms around me so that I was stuck against him, unable to move or go anywhere.

"Vhat iz zis?" Kurt asked curiously, his eyes taking in every detail.

I moved to pull away from Gambit for a moment, but he wouldn't let go.

"Give me one minute of freedom and then I'm all yours, okay?" I asked, watching as he thought about it for one moment, before letting me go.

I then walked over to Kurt, sitting down on the couch with him. I took a glove in my hand, tentatively taking hold of one of his hands and slipping it on. He moved his three fingers around a bit, flexing them as I placed the other one on his other hand. Everyone was watching with mild interest and abundant curiosity as I did all of this. Kurt's tail continued to curl and uncurl as I then placed a handmade hat on his head, pulling it down in the back a bit. I then placed a scarf around his neck, wrapping it around once, before I moved to his tail. I placed a little mitten of sorts on his tail that seemed fitted to it almost.

T

Gambit stood back grinning at the sight in front of him, partially because he had helped make everything that Kurt was wearing, well mainly everything anyway. He mainly just found it funny. The blue-skinned devil in front of him was speechless, absolutely speechless. That was, before he took Elaine by the hands and nearly started dancing around the living room with his new winter attire on.

"Zis iz wunderbar! Zank you, Elaine, zank you," he exclaimed happily, hugging her tightly.

At the sight of this, Gambit became slightly jealous, but only just. He had to remind himself that it was a friendly gesture and nothing more.

He sighed silently, not understanding why he felt like this, then again…he did like her. Gambit liked her more than any other girl that he had ever been around. It would be a lie to say that he was not attracted to her, and he would not deny that fact to anyone if they were to ask. He actually planned to make it a bit more apparent to her tonight.

He smiled at the thought of her gliding across ice.

"She be happy," he said to himself, barely above a whisper.

He was about to grab her from Kurt when he stopped, watching as Kurt pulled out a tiny square box from his coat pocket with his tail, bringing it to rest in his hand.

"Zis iz for you fraulein," he said, handing it to her.

Gambit watched as Elaine gazed at it curiously, undoing the small bow on the box and opening it. He saw her mouth go a bit slack, worrying him.

Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was actually a cross necklace, a rather beautiful one at that. He frowned at this, seeing that her attention was slowly being taken away from him and placed on Kurt.

T

I looked down at the cross in my hand, completely breathless. I hadn't expected this. It was beautiful…

"I…th-thank you, Kurt," I whispered, tracing my finger gently over the metal.

I licked my bottom lip faintly for a moment, the dryness driving me insane. Winter wasn't too kind to my lips at all, leaving them thoroughly chapped.

"I am zorry zat I cannot help you put it on," he apologized motioning to his three fingered hands.

Gambit nearly all but leapt forward at the chance to help, taking the necklace from my hands, and bringing it around my neck. I felt my cheeks heat up a bit when he did this, feeling his fingers brush my neck as he clipped the clasp on the necklace.

"Thank you, Remy," I said, smiling the best that I could.

I could tell that he was holding something back, but I wasn't sure what it was. So, I just put it to the side.

"Any time, cheri," he said with a smile. "Now, ya got some more presents to open, cheri," he said, pulling me back toward the tree.

Almost two hours later we were finally done with presents. The only reason why it took so long was because of all of the talking and stuff, but when we were done, I was rather happy indeed. I was curious though when I didn't receive a present from Gambit, but he assured me that I would receive it tonight. Instead of worrying about it though, I just helped everyone clean things up in the living room.

After a little while, I sat back down on the couch with Gambit, yawning for a moment. Feeling the warmth of the fire was slowly putting me to sleep, and I soon found myself leaning against Gambit, my eyes slowly closing.

"Why don' you take a nap, cheri?" he suggested with a slight chuckle, wrapping his arms around me and moving into a more comfortable position for both of us on the couch.

"Okay…" I whispered, already half asleep.

I could hear Gambit chuckle as he stroked my hair, my head resting on his chest. It was a nice feeling, soothing actually. I let a small smile form on my lips as I laid there in his arms, slowly dozing off into a light sleep.

**Ok everyone, there went chapter 19, but that was only part one. I hope that everyone liked it? I'm writing part 2 right now. Please, remember to REVEIW? I love hearing feedback from everyone, it's very inspiring. :) Anyway, sorry about the wait everyone, college has been a pain. Anyway...again, I hope that everyone enjoyed it. -glances around for hamster while typing the rest of part 2-**


	20. Chapter 19 part 2

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 19**

**Part 2**

**Christmas and a Night to Remember**

When I woke back up, it was around 4 o'clock.

I opened my eyes to find Gambit laying there, his arms still wrapped around me, staring at the fire. He had a serene look on his face, along with a small smile as well.

"Remy?"

This caused him to look down at me.

"Awake are we?" he chuckled, rolling his shoulder a bit.

I laughed for a moment as I sat up, making him let go of me.

"Alright mister, turn around," I said, causing him to give me a questionable look.

I just looked at him, opening and closing my hands.

"Ah…I see," he chuckled, before turning around as he was told, then removed his flannel shirt.

"That wasn't necessary you know," I said as I rose an eyebrow at him.

He just gave me a sly look.

"I know, cheri, I just like feelin' your hands on me skin," he said, causing my face to go about 3 shades of red.

He laughed at this, before I slapped his back. Not hard though, just enough to get my point across.

"Hey, at least Gambit honest," he said as he rolled his shoulders again, leaning forward slightly.

"Alright Mr. Honest, behave and hush," I order with a small laugh.

He did as he was told, letting me work on his shoulders with my hands, massaging the muscles. He gave a slight moan as it no doubt felt good, soon leaning into my touch.

"Oh, you got d'e magic touch, cheri," he said.

I just smiled at him.

"Why thank you Remy, I'll take that as a compliment," I chuckled, pressing my hands into his skin.

Eventually, after about 10 minutes, I ended up with his back laying against me and my arms wrapped around him from behind.

"You are a goof, you know that Remy?"

He grinned at me.

"Nah, Gambit just lazy," he said.

This made me laugh, shaking my head at him as I laid my head on his shoulder.

"Lazy butt," I muttered with amusement.

"Hey, d'at's Mr. Lazy Butt to you, cheri," he said with a chuckle.

I smacked his arm playfully.

"Ok, _Mr. _Lazy Butt," I laughed, closing my eyes lightly.

I swear, he really was a silly man, that was for sure. I still liked him though, regardless of how goofy he was at times. Although, I think that he did it on purpose, it wouldn't surprise me if he did though.

"Hey, guys," Scott called as he came walking into the living room. "Dinner is about ready, so get up and get to the table," Scott said, before leaving the room again.

We both laughed for a moment before getting up.

"And to t'ink, Gambit was gettin' comfortable," he whined, making me laugh.

"Oh come on, if it makes you feel better, you can go back to laying on me after dinner, okay?" I proposed, making him grin happily.

"Really, cheri, you do d'at for Gambit?" he asked.

I nodded my head.

"As long as you behave, yes," I agreed, holding up his shirt for him, watching as he slipped it back on over his head. "Hold still," I said, making him pause.

"What is it, cheri?" he asked, trying to look behind him.

"Your tag is sticking out," I told him, before fixing it for him.

"T'anks, cheri," he smiled, pulling me up with him. "Now, let's go eat."

For nearly 2 hours, the sound of laughter was heard. Jokes and other things being said around the table, and stories shared. Some had more to say than others of course, and others…well some just didn't say much at all. Elaine and Kurt rarely ever said anything, save for adding a laugh here or there. Gambit caught on to this though and made to change it, nudging her every now and then to say something. He smiled whenever he got her to speak, enjoying the sound of her soft, gentle voice.

The Professor himself had watched her a great deal as they all ate at the table, her subtle quietness slightly unnerving on a day such as this, but he knew it was to be expected. He had smiled though when Gambit had managed to get her to loosen up a bit. Charles had even been the one to send Scott to retrieve them for dinner, knowing that they were lying together quietly on the couch. He already knew that something grand was developing between the two mutants in question.

It didn't take very long before we were done, heading back to sit on the couch. I was surprised when Gambit stopped me by grabbing my hand.

"I got somet'in' better, cheri," he said, smiling at me.

I gave him a questionable look, before allowing to help me put my new fleece jacket on. I could feel a faint blush creep up onto my cheeks when he placed my hat on my head, hurrying to put his own coat on.

"Come on, cheri," he said, pulling me along.

I couldn't help but to laugh at this as he looked so excited, tugging my hand for me to keep up. Though, I soon found out why once we were outside.

"R-Remy?" I looked over at him, my eyes starting to water as I saw Bobby standing on the newly iced over fountain with two pairs of ice skates in his hands.

"What? You not like it, cheri?" he questioned, hoping that he didn't do something wrong.

At this point, Bobby came over to us, holding out the skates. I swallowed for a moment before taking the smaller pair from him, carefully running a hand over them, a few tears falling.

"It…it's not that Remy. It's just…I…I haven't been ice skating since I was a little girl," I whispered, remembering when my mother had taken me a few times.

"You're happy though, right?" he asked, giving me a worried look.

I just whipped away the tears and smiled.

"Yes, yes I am. Thank you so much Remy…this…this means a lot to me," I said, hugging him tightly as I tried not to cry again.

I felt his arms wrap around me as he hugged me back, before pulling me away a bit.

"Now, why don' we go and skate?" he suggested with a goofy smile on his face.

Once I was on the ice, it was the most amazing thing ever. I could feel the air brushing against my face gently as I slid across the smooth ice. I laughed though when Gambit tried to skate over to me, slipping before he reached me.

"Merde," he whispered under his breath.

"Are you alright, Remy?" I asked as I went over to him, holding out my gloved hand for him to take.

I made sure to dig one of my skates into the ice so that I wouldn't slip trying to help him up, but even with that, I nearly slipped.

"Man, d'at hurt," he whined as he rubbed his back.

"Let me guess, you'll be wanting a nice long back rub once we get back inside?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He just gave me a hopeful look, causing me to roll on eyes and sigh.

"Fine," I said, agreeing to it.

"T'ank you, cheri," he cheered.

This made me laugh as I skated backwards away from him, twirling around a bit. I smiled as I closed my eyes, just skating forward gracefully, not a care in the world. I jumped though when heard Gambit's voice beside me. He actually had to grab my arm so that I wouldn't fall, pulling me against him.

I blushed a bit as I looked up at him, embarrassment written all over my face.

"Um, thanks, Remy," I said, pulling away after a moment.

When I did this, I heard something click, before Christmas lights started turning on all over the place. This time, I had to stop so that I wouldn't fall from astonishment, but let out a small laugh shortly after.

"A little late on that one, huh?" I asked, turning my head to look at him.

He just shrugged.

"Gambit tried, but d'e blasted lights wouldn' work," he said, throwing his hands up in mock annoyance.

This made me laugh and shake my head.

"You're something else, Remy," I said, skating over to him, "But at least it's something," I smiled.

"Speaking of somet'in'," he started, pulling something from his coat pocket.

I all but dropped the lid when I opened the box, gazing at a rose bracelet. It was beautiful with red, white, and peach colored roses.

"Remy, you…wow," I whispered at a loss for words.

He just smiled at me, pulling out some mistletoe from his coat pocket and holding it above our heads, making my face go redder than the streaks in my hair.

"Now, what say you give Gambit a _proper_ kiss d'is time?" he winked at me, gently pulling me against him as he kept an arm around my waist.

"Remy…" I whispered as I tried to control my breathing as I looked carefully into his eyes.

As I looked into his eyes, I was searching for something. There was no foul play, no joke, no deception. Nothing, but pure honesty and caring. He gave me no reason why not to kiss him. There was nothing there to hurt me. So, without much further thought on the matter, I closed my eyes and kissed him on the lips.

I could feel him smile as he pulled me just a bit closer with his other arm, kissing me back as we stood there together on the ice. It was amazing for my first kiss and it wasn't demanding at all like I thought it might be. No, it was soft and gentle; heartfelt.

When we finally pulled away, my face was red hot from embarrassment, but I liked it. Apparently, Gambit did too because he let out a chuckle when he saw my face and placed his hand on my cheek.

"You're face is red, cheri," he said, pointing out the obvious.

"Well, it's your fault, Remy," I told him, trying to hide my face a bit, but he wouldn't let me.

No, instead, he leaned down and placed a light kiss on my lips.

"I t'ink it cute, cheri, you're cute," he grinned slyly, making my face go even more red.

"Stop that," I said, swatting his hand away.

I then moved away and skated toward the center of the fountain so that I could sit down, rubbing my face incessantly to try and get rid of the redness, but it didn't seem to work that well. I then watched as he came over to me, gently taking the bracelet from my hand.

"Here, let Gambit help," he smiled, taking my hand and placing the bracelet around it, hooking it together for me.

"Thank you," I whispered, still a bit embarrassed.

Sensing my embarrassment, he sat down with me, placing his hand on mine. At that moment, I couldn't look him in the eye in fear of embarrassing myself further. Although, he made it worse when he brought my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles lightly.

"Okay, okay, stop it!" I cried, laughing at the situation.

This made him grin to no end.

"Ready to go back inside, cheri?" he asked, tugging me up with him.

I nodded my head, finally noticing how dark it was, and how cold it was. My fingers were actually starting to go numb at this point.

"D'en let's go," he said, pulling me gently toward the edge of the fountain where we took our skates off.

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" I called before racing toward the mansion.

"Oi! No fair, cheri, you got a head start!" he exclaimed, quickly picking up the skates and running after me.

All that I could do was laugh at him as I got within feet of the door before he caught me in his arms, holding me close.

"Gotcha, cheri," he whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Stop it," I laughed, nudging him. "I'm cold, I wanna get back inside," I told him.

He pouted for a moment, before looking down at me.

"Fine, but when we get inside you mine, cheri," he proclaimed, scooping me up in his arms, causing me to squeal.

"Remy!" I cried, "Put me down!"

He didn't listen though. Instead, he carried me inside and into the living room, only placing me down so that we could take everything off. It was way too hot in here to keep out coats, shoes, gloves, and hats on.

"Now, you mine, cheri," he said, scooping me back up into his arms and plopping down on the couch with me.

I just laughed at him, already tired as it was.

"You ain't goin' nowhere tonight, cheri. Just thought Gambit'd warn ya," he said, keeping his arms around me.

"Fine, but that means that you're my pillow for tonight then, Remy," I told him, getting a bit more comfortable.

"Oh, Gambit don' mind, cheri. In fact, Gambit be pleased ta be your pillow," he grinned, intertwining his right hand with my left and resting them on my stomach lightly.

"If I didn't know better, Remy, I'd say that you were addicted to me," I said quietly with a yawn.

It didn't take long though for the flames in the fireplace to slowly lull me to sleep, making it impossible for me to keep my eyes open. I just know that before I completely fell asleep, I felt Gambit's lips on my cheek, kissing it softly.

"Bonne nuit, cheri," he whispered softly into my ear as he got comfortable himself, before falling asleep too.

**Ok everyone, I hope that you liked this. I'm sure that a lot of you probably liked part 2 better than part 1, but hey, that's just how I wanted to break it up. Please remember to REVIEW? I'd LOVE to see what everyone has to say about this one, and I'm sure everyone knows why. Lol. Oh, and I'm glad I could help you to remember to feed your sisters hamster Bite. :) Anyway, hope everyone liked this.**


	21. Chapter 20

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 20**

_Something had happened, something terrible. I could feel myself shaking and crying. I was angry and heartbroken. All that I could think about was running away, running away like I had always done any other time before that. I _had_ to run, simple as that._

_The next thing I know, I'm out in the cold of evening, racing toward one of the motorcycles. I don't know what was going through my mind when I picked that to take, but I did it. I got on it, started it up, and I left._

_I raced out into the street, not once even attempting to look back. There was nothing that would stop me now, nothing at all. Although, the tears that ran down my face bothered me greatly. They ran down my face, covered by my helmet as they met my neck. I was wearing the helmet that Logan had given me, currently the only thing that gave me comfort._

_I continued to race on, even with parts of the roads icy, I just didn't care anymore._

"_How could you…"_

_That's was the last thing that I said, before hitting a patch of ice that sent me out of control, and flying toward the ground._

I shot up in my bed, gasping for air as I found myself drenched in a cold sweat. I held my head in my hands before crying.

"What was that…?" I whispered, trying to get my breathing back under control.

It had seemed so real, as though it had actually happen or…would happen. I had no clue what was going on, but it scared me greatly.

I looked at my clock, to find that it was like 5 o'clock in the morning, meaning that everyone was still in bed. It had been about 2 weeks now since Christmas, and everyone was now back to school. That also meant Slick, Ram, and Sham as well.

I sighed as I got out of bed, walking over to my dresser drawers and pulled out a pair of my new clothes that I had gotten for Christmas. I was so thankful that they had given me clothes, opposed to something else. Although, I had still gotten other stuff of course, but I still liked my clothes.

Trying to get the dream out of my head, I slipped hummed to myself while slipping my clothes on, before heading downstairs. Even then, I still couldn't seem to get it out of my head.

"I hate this…" I whispered, walking into the kitchen and flipping the lights on.

"What do you hate?"

I jumped at hearing voice, smacking my hand into the wall a moment later.

"God, Logan, don't scare me like that!" I yelled, placing my hand over my heart.

"Sorry kid, didn't think you'd be up this early," he said.

I just groaned at this, turning back around and going to the fridge.

"Well, I am AND I can't sleep," I told him, pulling out some milk from the fridge and cereal from the shelf.

I then sat down at the table and poured myself some cereal, watching as Logan sat down across from me.

"Bad dream or something?" he asked.

I nodded my head quietly as I stuffed a spoon full of cereal into my mouth.

"What was it about?"

I had to hold up a finger as I swallowed.

"Don't really know, but it freaked me out," I told him, continuing to eat my cereal.

It was true though, I really didn't know what it was about, but I honestly didn't want to talk about it because it had me worried and utterly unnerved as well.

"Freaked you out, huh?"

I groaned quietly, but I know that he still heard it.

"Logan, please, I really don't wanna talk about it, okay?"

Before he say anything else about it, I finished my cereal and placed the bowl in the sink, leaving the kitchen.

Since I didn't have anything else to do, I retrieved my fleece jacket and went outside.

"At least it doesn't feel as tense out here," I whispered to myself, looking over the grounds.

It was so quiet out here, so peaceful, and beautiful.

"I wish things could always be like this…"

_They can, do a degree, Elaine._

I near jumped when I heard the Professor.

"Professor? What are you doing out here?" I asked, turned around to face him.

The man just gave me a small smile from his wheelchair.

"I was going to ask you the same thing my dear," he said, "Now, why are you out here by yourself, Elaine," he asked curiously.

I sighed, closing my eyes.

"I…I had a dream that freaked me out, so I got up, ate, then came out here for some quiet to clear my mind," I explained to him, opening my eyes to gaze up at the horizon.

The sun always came out earlier in the winter months. Now, it was slowly starting to peek the horizon, changing the colors in the sky. It was beautiful as I sat there watching the pinks and purples slowly appear in the sky.

"Professor?" I started as I kept my gaze on the horizon.

I could feel his stare on me as I sat there, trying to think of what to say next.

"How is it…that I have so many abilities?" I asked quietly.

"I'm not sure, Elaine, but I've been trying to figure it out. In all honesty, Elaine, you are a very special young woman," he told me, placing a hand gently on my shoulder.

"But…I don't _like_ being special, Professor," I whispered, placing my face in my hands.

It was so frustrating. I mean, it's not as if I asked for this crap and yet, here it is anyway.

"Elaine?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"I'm fine Professor, just…tired," I assured him as I stood up and stared at the sky.

People would be getting up soon, getting ready for class, but I still had time to wait. So, wait I did as the Professor went back inside, leaving me to my thoughts. I even went as far as to sit beneath a snow-covered tree out in the courtyard for a while as I waited for the time to pass.

The rest of the day, I didn't really pay much attention to my classes. My mind kept going back to the dream that I had had. Unfortunately, I hadn't seen enough of it to make much sense of it, but it still bothered me.

"Kid, watch out!" Logan yelled, but it was too late, I got hit in the shoulder from behind.

I groaned as I fell to the floor of the danger room, holding my shoulder in pain.

"The hell is wrong with you!?" he yelled at the person behind me.

I turned to find Slick standing there with a smug look on his face. He held his hands up in defense as he took a couple steps back.

"Sorry, Logan, I forgot that she was on my team," he said.

_Bull crap!_ I thought, groaning again as I slowly stood up holding my shoulder. It hurt like hell and right now I was thoroughly pissed off. Before I could do anything that I would regret though, I left the danger room along with the building and sat as far away from the place outside as I could.

"Freaking jerk," I growled under my breath as I laid my head against one of the trees.

I could feel the burning energy in my hands as I sat there, but refused to let it out. I didn't want to damage anything. Even with that though, I felt the anger and confusion trying to take over as it does every now and then. I jumped though when I heard a voice beside me.

"Bonjour, cheri," Gambit greeted.

"Remy…" I sighed heavily as I closed my eyes, my hand balling up a bit.

"Somet'in' wrong, cheri?" he asked, taking a seat next to me on the cold snowy ground.

"Slick," I growled out, groaning from the pain in my shoulder.

"What he do?" he asked, his voice now holding an upset tone to it.

"Jerk hit me in the shoulder," I grumbled, before flinching as he placed a hand on it.

Carefully, he pulled the shoulder of my shirt down, revealing red skin. I felt him recoil for a moment before he gently placed his palm on it, making me hiss in pain.

"Sorry, cheri," he said, removing his hand. "Maybe I should knock some since into him?" he suggested, but I just shook my head.

"No, if you want to do something, get rid of this," I held up my hand that was still glowing a faint red.

"Cheri," he sighed as he took hold of my hand, absorbing the lingering power that was there. "You shouldn't let him get to ya like d'at, cheri," he said, rubbing the top of my hand with his thumb.

"I know, Remy, but I can't help it…" my voice grew quiet at the end as I grew slightly upset with myself.

I had let Slick get to me too easily, but I couldn't help it. I mean, he DID haul off and hit me when he knew full well that I was on his team.

"I'm sorry, Remy," I whispered, burying my face in my arms, wincing as the muscle in my shoulder moved.

"Aw, come on, cheri, is not your fault," he said, carefully placing his arm around my shoulders. "D'e only t'ing gonna be your fault, is if you keep sittin' out here like d'is," he told me with a small smile on his face.

This got me to laugh. So, I gave him a small smile and got up with him helping me up. God, my shoulder was killing me and Slick, oh, he was DEAD meat.

"Don' worry, cheri, we'll get him," Gambit promised as he helped me inside.

"I know, but it's still annoying," I told him, groaning once more from my shoulder.

"Well, why don' you sit down on d'e couch while Gambit get some ice for d'at shoulder o' yours," he suggested, leading me over to the couch, before going to the kitchen.

"Man this hurts," I whined, rubbing my shoulder painfully.

No doubt, there was going to be a major bruise there showing up soon. In fact, I think it's probably already starting to show up, I just can't see it from where I'm at. I had to stop trying to look at it though when Gambit came back in, a small bag of ice in his hand.

This was going to hurt…

**Ok, finally 20 is done. I'm happy! Anyway, I'm sorry that it's slightly shorter than normal, buut I had to do it. Please remember to REVIEW? I love hearing feedback from everyone, and I'm especially going to need it for the up coming chapters. Thanks everyone!**


	22. Chapter 21

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 21**

The following weeks after the incident in the danger room hadn't been much better. Granted, Logan had taken it up with the Professor, and Slick had gotten in trouble, but still. He still bugged me whenever he could AND made a habit of bumping or hitting me in the shoulder.

Lord have mercy I wanted to cry whenever he made contact with my shoulder. The whole thing had bruised rather badly to be honest, and it drove me nuts. Even the slightest touch would hurt, especially since he had basically left a welt on my shoulder. I can't even move it properly without pain because of that jerk.

Oh, how I want to ring his neck, but alas, I would only get myself in trouble. Even though, I really don't think Logan would mind that much, since it would save him the trouble of doing it himself.

My main problem was that my dreams had started coming back again. They were scary and left me with little sleep. In fact, I still remember what happened this morning. I had woken up screaming and when Logan came into the room, I wouldn't go near him.

In my dream, he had been the reason of my screams. In my dream, he had plunged his claws right through me. Even though, I knew that it had only been a dream, it had scared the hell out of me. Plus, I think I hurt Logan's feelings when I wouldn't go anywhere near him, but I couldn't help it. I had been scared out of my mind, I wasn't thinking clearly. Hell, to make matters worse, I went and ran out into the snow at like 4 in the morning with my pajama's on. I went out there in hopes of waking me up, but only cried into the snow, balling up into a pathetic heap.

Oh, it had been terrible, absolutely terrible. I think the reason why it had scared me so much was due to the fact that it was someone that I was familiar with. I knew Logan, unlike Sabertooth, so it scared me more than usual. It terrified me to no end.

I honestly didn't know what to do with myself this morning, heck, I didn't even go to classes because it had bothered me so much.

Lunch time was no better either, I could barely even eat anything. I could barely even stay still. The only thing that managed to keep me sane was sitting out in the snow where it was cool and calming. The inside of the school was far from that, so I decided to stick with staying outside for as long as I could. Of course, I had to come back inside a few times though.

I found it pretty sad and kind of embarrassing though because I had probably woken up the whole school this morning…

I swear, it's almost like something or someone is seriously trying to kill me off in my sleep. It's so unnerving when I think about it like that, but I can't help it, something just isn't right about all of this. If it isn't one dream attacking me and throwing me off, then it's another doing the same thing if not worse. None of it makes any sense at all, none of it.

I sighed as I looked down at my bracelet, the one that Gambit had given me for Christmas. I basically never took it off, same for my necklace that Kurt had given me. They both stayed close to me and were very precious to me.

I groaned as I stretched my arm, feeling the muscles tighten as I stood up. It was time for me to go back inside now and do something, especially, since I hadn't done much today.

I was shocked when I didn't find anyone in the kitchen. I would have thought that someone would have been in here at this time of day, then again, it was getting a little late. Still, I had to eat something, so that's why I was there. I was just going to get something to eat and then go to bed early and try not to worry about anything else.

I sighed quietly as I went to the refrigerator, pulling a few things out to make a sandwich. In the end, I ended up fixing myself a ham sandwich, and man was it tasty. Then again, when you really haven't eaten anything all day, I suppose anything would taste divine at that point.

It wasn't until I was about half way done with my sandwich that I felt hands on me and hot breath on my neck. I went rigid.

"Bonjour, cheri," I heard him whisper.

I swallowed hard, closing my eyes for a moment.

"Remy, you scared me…don't do that," I told him, glancing at him as he laid his head on my shoulder.

"Sorry, cheri, didn' mean ta scare ya," he whispered, his voice strangely husky as he gently rubbed my arm and kissed my neck.

I shivered, nearly choking.

"R-Remy, stop it, I'm trying to eat," I warned, getting slightly uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, that didn't seem to stop him though as he kissed my neck again, before biting at it softly. I pulled away as he did this, scared.

"I said stop, Remy," I told him, my brows slowly knitting together.

"Come on, cheri, Gambit don' bite…much," he cooed, placing a hand on my shoulder as he backed me into a wall with no place to go.

I was growing more and more scared by the moment. The next thing I know, his lips were on mine in a hard bruising rough kiss as his hand slid dangerously up the skin of my side.

I squirmed under his grip as his hand tightened on my shoulder with him trying to take the kiss further. I just couldn't take it and shoved him as hard as I could, braking away from him, tears slowly falling.

"What wrong, cheri?" he asked as if he hadn't been doing anything wrong.

I just shook my head, gripping it with my hands.

"You…you jerk!" I yelled, before running out of the room.

T

Unfortunately as Elaine ran, she never saw the change in Gambit's eyes, the change from red and black to bright yellow. If she had, she would have never run away, she would have never been as scared or upset. The problem was, she didn't look back, and she didn't see it as 'Gambit' stood there with a smug smirk on his face as he disappeared somewhere in the large mansion.

T

I couldn't believe what was happening as I ran down the hall, tears falling from my eyes. I thought that he was better than that, I thought…

I couldn't even think straight as I nearly tripped down the steps from being in such a hurry. The only thing on my mind as I through my jacket on was that I had to get out of there. I had to get out of there before anything else happened…before _I_ happened…

I was just so angry, sad, and heartbroken. It was a deadly mix for me, one that I did not wish to deal with.

I tripped over my feet when I got to the garage, my hands meeting the cold ground as I sat there looking around frantically. I went for the first thing that I saw, grabbing my helmet and mounting one of the motorcycles.

I needed something with speed, something to get me out of here and fast. So making sure that my helmet was secure, I turned the thing on and sped out of the garage, and into the cold winter air of evening as my hair blew behind me.

I raced out into the street, not once even attempting to look back.

T

"Professor, Elaine, she's…"

"Gone…" the Professor whispered, answering the student.

T

There was nothing that would stop me now, nothing at all. Although, the tears that ran down my face bothered me greatly. They ran down my face, covered by my helmet as they met my neck. I was wearing the helmet that Logan had given me, currently the only thing that gave me comfort, even after my earlier dream.

T

"You've got to be kidding me, she took the damn bike!" Logan yelled in a frustrated panic, moving to get on one of the other motorcycles, before speeding out as well.

Logan just prayed that he would find her unharmed and in one piece, both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, he seriously doubted that he would.

T

Even my necklace didn't do anything for me as it weaved in and out of the top of my shirt, never staying still against the movement of the wind as I rode onward in a blur of thoughts.

I continued to race on, even with parts of the roads being icy, I just didn't care anymore. There was nothing more to care about. I had been betrayed by someone that I was close to, someone that I… No…I wouldn't say that, not really. I mean, there hadn't been enough time yet to get _that_ close. But still…

"How could you…" I whispered, tears blinding my vision.

That was the last thing that I said, before hitting a patch of ice in the road. I was then sent out of control and flying from my bike, my body twisting and rolling painfully as it hit the ground.

It was only then that I was reminded of the dream I had had weeks earlier as I now lay at the bottom of a hill, the bike totaled from a tree.

"Oh no…" I whispered, trying to move, only to cry out in pain.

I wasn't sure if anything was broken or not, but I knew that my body hurt something afoul. Not to mention, my head hurt horribly.

"Mmm…" I groaned in pain as I slowly turned myself over onto my stomach, gripping my side and arm painfully.

I couldn't help but cry from all of the pain and the situation. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him…

T

Logan continued to ride on in hope of finding Elaine, but he already smelled trouble in the distance.

T

I hissed in pained as I crawled to a tree, slowly standing up with the help of its strong support. My eyes felt like they would roll into the back of my head at any given moment as I stood there weakly. I was so dizzy just standing there, trying to look around at my surroundings. I hadn't really noticed until now, but my bracelet was missing. This made me sad because beside my necklace, it was my favorite.

I whirled around when I heard a twig snap behind me, falling to the ground and holding my head, I was so dizzy. Although, what I found scared and startled me greatly.

Sabertooth.

"S-Sabertooth…" I whispered, to scared to move.

Strangely enough, he seemed to have a different air about him at the moment, but it still scared me.

"Frail," he nearly purred as he showed his sharp canines.

He then crouched down in front of me, his arms resting on his knees. We just stared at each other for a couple minutes, before he pushed me over with his hand, causing me to cry out when my side hit the ground. Before I knew what was happening, his large hands were on my side, pulling me over and lifting up my shirt. I tried to stop him, but he just growled harshly at me, making me stop and stay still.

I couldn't help but to shake as I laid there, hissing in pain a few times as he found the wound. It was a gash on my side that I hadn't taken the time to look at. I froze when he brought his face close to it, sniffing at it for some strange reason. Before I could say anything, he growled again. He growled at the blood.

Lord, I was in so much pain. I was so tired. Even as Sabertooth sat there, scanning over me and pulling my limbs, I just seemed to grow weaker. I didn't even care anymore that he caused me a bit more pain by pulling on my legs and arms every now and then. That was, until I heard another voice that woke me up a bit more.

"Sabertooth, leave her along and stop pestering her," a man said, walking over to us.

That voice, it was so familiar to me, a voice that I had heard a few times throughout my life.

"Do something useful and stand her up," he ordered.

Moments later, Sabertooth's hands were back on me, pulling me up. I winced as I stood, falling back against the large man. He didn't seem to mind though as he kept me up, justing staring at the man before us.

"Mr. Lehnsherr…?" I whispered.

"Hello, Miss Conners."

**Ok, that was chapter 21. I hope that everyone liked it, I wasn't completely sure when I wrote part of it, but it's part of the plot. I really need peoples REVIEWS for this one before I can really do much with the next chapter to be honest. So, PLEASE send me REVIEWs? I really need to know how I did on this one. Thanks everyone. :)**


	23. Chapter 22

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 22**

So many things were going through Logan head as he stood at the edge of the hill. He had found the skid marks from Elaine's bike, even in the darkness. He knew that she must have gone down over the hill somewhere and he was scared of what he would find. As he stepped forward to go down the hill, he felt something under his boot. Leaning down, he found it to be her bracelet, the one that she never took off.

"Elaine…" he whispered, holding it in his large hand.

His hand tightened around it as he bit back a yell, sliding down part of the hill, and walking down the rest of it.

"Elaine, Elaine, can you hear me!" he called out, looking around him.

She had to be there somewhere, she just had to be.

"Elaine!" he called again, but he got no answer.

He growled in frustration as he walked around trying to find any trace of her.

"What the…"

His brows furrowed as he stepped forward through the brush, finding a small piece of fabric, no doubt from her shirt. What really got him was the smell of blood on the ground in various spots.

He sniffed the air a few times, before his body went rigid. A growl soon came from his throat as he looked around closely, bringing his claws out.

"Sabertooth," he growled.

His eyes shifted around as he took a few steps here and there. As he sniffed the air again, his shoulders slowly fell a bit, his claws returning back as well. Sabertooth was no longer there. Although, he smelled someone else, Magneto.

"Damn you!" he yelled, tearing into a tree.

He stood there for a few minutes, calming his raging breath as he slid down the tree. He sat there, staring down at the broken bracelet in his hand. He knew that they had taken her from here, but he just didn't know where they had taken her to, and it was tearing him apart.

After a few more minutes, he got up and looked around some more, coming across her helmet. There was a little bit of blood on the inside, but luckily, not very much. The visor on it would also have to be repaired later as well since it was cracked a bit. The bike was the last thing that he found. It was completely destroyed, but luckily far enough away that he knew that she had not been part of that. He knew that she had probably been thrown from the bike and rolled down the hill.

"Elaine…"

T

When Logan got back to the mansion, it didn't take long for the Professor to realize what happened.

"Magneto's got her," Logan grumbled, his grip tightening on Elaine's helmet.

"We'll find her, Logan, I promise," the Professor said, carefully placing his hand on Logan's arm.

Logan just sighed, before walking out of the room, soon bumping into Gambit. He felt bad when he saw the look on the younger man's face. There had been a faint spark of hope in his eyes as he came to Logan.

"Wolverine, did ya find her? Did ya find, cheri?" he asked with a hopeful tone.

Logan just shook his head no, holding out the bracelet for Gambit to take.

Gambit's heart fell when he saw the bracelet, but took it from Logan's outstretched hand nonetheless. He held it there for a moment, rubbing his thumb over it. He was absolutely heartbroken as he stared down at it.

"Cheri…" he whispered, bringing the bracelet to his chest.

"The Professor says that we'll find her," Logan told him, before walking off down the hallway.

Logan just couldn't stand there any longer. He had his own issues to deal with now, he couldn't deal with Gambit's too.

T

I don't know when I finally woke up, but it felt like days. I woke up to the sound of the flicking of metal, something that I had heard in high school a couple times, a lighter perhaps?

I groaned though when I opened my eyes, the light stinging them.

"So, you're awake, finally," said a voice.

It was a guy, a guy maybe a few feet away from me. I was correct when I opened my eyes and found him sitting in a chair to my left. He had a lighter in his hand, flicking it open and closed.

I groaned as he continued flicking his lighter.

"Can you please stop that? Just for a bit?" I asked, holding my head.

"Why, I bother you that much?" he nearly laughed.

"No, it's just my head is killing me at the moment," I whispered, making him finally stop. "Thank you," I said, closing my eyes.

"The names Pyro, what's yours?" he asked, holding out his hand.

I knew that Pyro must be his other name, so I nodded my head and shook his hand.

"Nova, my name is Nova," I said, making him smile.

"Nice name," he complimented me, flicking his lighter open again, but he didn't close it this time.

Instead, he flicked it, starting a small flame. I stared at it for a moment as he placed his hand over it, manipulating the fire.

_A fire wielder._ I thought, staring at him.

"You like playing with fire," I whispered, catching his attention.

"Of course," he grinned, making interesting shapes with it.

I smiled a bit as I watching him, finding entertainment in the changing shapes of the flame. For some reason, watching these flames put me at ease, but I didn't know why. Maybe because it was a bit more familiar to me, but I don't know.

"Magneto says that you're a class 5, so what can you do?" he asked, staring at me.

"You don't wanna know…"

"Oh, but I do," he said, leaning forward a bit in his chair.

"I can do more than one thing," I said, staring at the flame for a moment, before slowly making one of my own.

He stared at it enviously, wishing that he could create flames of his own.

"I haven't really practiced with this much, I've been more worried about my other powers," I said quietly, laying back on the bed that I was laying on.

"You mean that's not all that you can do?" he asked curiously.

"No…it's not," I said, closing my eyes.

"Cool, can you show me?" he smiled, a hopeful look on his face.

"Not in here I can't, it's too dangerous," I told him, turning my head to look at him. "Which reminds me…where am I?" I asked, realizing that I had yet to even think about it.

I blamed in on grogginess and the fact that it had something to do with Mr. Lehnsherr.

"All that I can tell you is that you're somewhere safe, so don't worry about it," he told me, a small smirk on his face.

"Hey, Pyro?"

"Yeah?"

"What's your given name?" I asked.

He gave me a slightly disgusted look for a moment.

"Why do you wanna know?" he asked, playing with his lighter.

"Just curious is all. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," I said, trying to compromise.

"Fine. It's John," he said, before giving me an expectant look.

"Elaine," I smiled half heartedly.

"Nice to meet you, _Elaine _Nova," he said, trying not to laugh.

I smirked at this.

"You too, _John_ Pyro."

T

Gambit groaned as he laid on his bed, looking up at his ceiling.

"Where are you, cheri?" he whispered, looking over at the bracelet laying on his nightstand.

How he missed Elaine. He missed her so much. He was worried about her, worried that something truly terrible had happened to her. What was worse, he didn't know why she had run off like that. The only evidence that they had found in the house was a half-eaten ham sandwich laying on the kitchen table downstairs.

T

"Hey, John?" I asked, watching him freeze up for a moment.

"What?"

"Um…I need to use the bathroom," I whispered in embarrassment.

"Oh! Um, sure, come on," he said, quickly standing up from his seat to help me up.

I whined when I stood up, falling against him.

"Easy now," he chuckled, helping pick me back up a bit.

He then placed my arm over his shoulders, holding it there as his other arm went around my waist.

As we left the room, I noticed that there were no windows to be seen at all, just lights keeping everything lit. This caught me off guard a bit.

Before I knew it, I was in the bathroom and back out again and against John.

"Um, John?"

"What?"

"Can we…go outside?" I asked, hoping that he would say yes.

"Why would you want to go outside? It's cold out there," he said, giving me a funny look.

"I know that, but please?" I begged, just really wanting to go outside.

I knew that I had won when he let out a sigh of defeat, moving back into the room to get my jacket. I smiled once I had it on, but I had no shoes, so guessing that those kind of got torn up in the fall. Especially, since they had become very flimsy to begin with.

Once we finally got outside, I realized that we had been underground. I shivered when my feet met the cold remnants of snow on the ground, but I guess I was getting used to it given the fact that I had recently done this many times before.

"Aren't you cold?" he asked, walking me over by a tree.

I just shook my head stubbornly, pulling my jacket tighter around myself. I was cold, but I wouldn't admit it.

It was nice though, standing in a forest with the green trees all around me, the leaves blowing with every breeze. I hadn't been out in a place like this since I was about 14. I remember running away and hiding in the woods for about a week one time. The family that I had been with was horrible, so I just ran away. I had packed up what little I had, taking some food and just running. It was all that I could do at the time was just run. Run away from my problems and fear…like I did this time. I had run away from Gambit like a scared child.

"Hey, um, Nova?"

"…"

"Nova?"

"…"

"Elaine!"

I jumped when I heard his voice, turning to look at him.

"Huh?"

He sighed, rolling his eyes for a moment.

"I called your name like 2 times and you didn't answer," he said.

"Oh, sorry…I'm not used to being called Nova very often," I explained, sitting down beneath the tree, pulling my jacket closer to my body.

"I just wanted to know, exactly what happened that got you here?" he asked, sitting beside me.

I nearly flinched at the memory, closing my eyes painfully at the thought. I felt like crying.

"I…I…someone…someone that I was close to…he…mmm," I couldn't finish as tears started to fall, my body shaking.

"Hey," John said, placing his hand on my shoulder carefully, "He didn't hurt you did he?" he asked, slowly trying to check for any hidden bruises.

"N-no, not exactly…" I whispered.

"He didn't try and touch you did he?" he asked, getting slightly angry.

"He…he tried to force himself on me," I nearly whimpered as I sat there, glancing over at John for a moment.

He looked furious.

"Well, if I ever see him, I'll fry his ass," he growled out, his hands clenched into fists.

Moments later, I saw Sabertooth walk out from where we had come. They exchanged a few words before John went back inside, leaving me here with Sabertooth.

I shivered as I stared at him, having him watch me carefully. I felt myself scoot back a couple inches as I sat there, pulling my jacket around myself even more if possible.

I heard him let out a faint growl, although, it didn't sound menacing like the other times that I had been in his presence. I then watched as he walked over to me and dropped his large pelt on top of my head.

I didn't know what to do as I sat there, pulling the thing off of my head and looking at it. I looked up at him, only to find him smirking at me.

"Put it on frail," he growled softly.

So, not wanting to anger him, I wrapped it around myself. I pulled my feet up as much as I could, keeping them away from the cold.

I smiled at the warmth that the pelt gave me, warming me up and blocking out the cold.

"Um…thank you," I whispered, knowing that he heard me.

_She's stronger than she looks. _Sabertooth thought.

**Ok, there was the awaited chapter 22. :) I hope that everyone enjoyed it and please remember to REVIEW? I love hearing feedback and REVIEWs. I also want to thank everyone for all of the support they been giving me. And I always enjoy your replies Bite. Anyway, thanks everyone. -waves to hamster-**


	24. Chapter 23

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 23**

"So…Mr. Lehnsherr, why exactly did you bring me here?" I asked softly, standing before the man that had saved me from the accident.

"Why, my dear girl, I brought you here to help you," he said, walking toward me.

I stood where I was as he drew closer, Sabertooth watching from the sidelines against the wall as we talked.

"To help me?" I asked curiously.

"Yes, my dear," he placed his hand on my shoulder, a warm smile on his face. "I know that you were having troubles at that school. After all, you _did_ run away, did you not?"

I froze as he said this, lowering my head and looking away.

"People never have treated you right, have they my dear?" he asked, gently pulling my chin up to look at him.

I could feel my eyes water as I stood there, trying not to cry from being asked that question. I mean, it was true after all, I had run away, but…it was for a good reason.

"Y-yes…" I whispered, closing my eyes as I felt a tear trickle from my eye.

I felt him gently whip it away with his thumb.

"This wasn't the first time that you've run away from your troubles, is it my dear?" he asked.

All that I could do was shake my head as I tried not to cry even more. Before I could start crying, he made me sit down on my bed, smoothing the hair on my head.

"It doesn't have to be this way you know, you don't always have to run away," he said, hiding a smile.

I just shook my head, my face in my hands as I tried to whip away the tears.

"N-no…y-your wrong!" I said, making him move back slightly for a moment. "I do have to run…I…I do. Otherwise, someone always ends up hurt, whether it's me or someone else," I told him, holding my head in frustration.

I could feel my breath becoming slightly raged, my head spinning, my hands glowing. It was absolutely terrible and all that I could do was run.

I ran outside and into the snow, burying myself in it as much as I could. All that I could do was sit there and whimper like a pathetic child. As I sat there, I could feel my powers leaking into the ground around me, building up energy that would undoubtedly go off.

Soon, it did just that. The ground blew up around me, sending bits and pieces at my face and hands, cutting and scrapping it. It was painful.

At this point, I was starting to miss Gambit and how he would take that explosive power away.

"Sabertooth, restrain her," I heard Mr. Lehnsherr say, but I didn't care.

I let the man restrain me, grabbing my arms in one hand, and holding me against him with his other arm. I couldn't go anywhere even if I wanted to. I then watched Mr. Lehnsherr come closer, a needle in his hand. All I could do was pray that it would knock me out and end this feeling that I had.

* * *

For the third time that day, the Professor sat at Cerybro, searching for Elaine. Ever since she had gone missing, he had been searching for her none stop, but it was as if something had been blocking his view of her. No doubt, Erik had something to do with it. Magneto had always been good at hiding things when he truly wanted to. Although, this time was different.

As the Professor sat there, Elaine suddenly appeared. The poor girl was in pain, her powers losing control, and tears staining her face. She was in the forest, where Magneto had once held his base of operation. Apparently, he had gone back to using it, expanding it a bit this time.

He did not know why, but when he picked up on her emotions, she held a fear for Gambit. Although, there was still a faint longing for him, though it was now covered with pain. She was so scared.

Charles also picked up on Magneto, slight annoyance and frustration, though there was a bit of excitement and awe mixed into it. Even a sliver of fear at the sight of Elaine's powers.

Sabertooth's were mostly indifferent, though intrigued with Elaine. He saw her as a possible challenge or toy. Something to amuse himself with and play with.

Pryo, his emotions were slightly different. He noticed an unseen connection with John and Elaine. A sort of familiarity between the two of them. It was what allowed them to form that simple and unique bond upon seeing each other the first time. What Charles found most interesting, was that John was in the dark upon what was happening. Magneto hadn't let him in on everything and kept John in the shadows with Elaine.

* * *

"What's goin' on?" Gambit asked after racing into the Professor's office.

He had been called down for what was called a bit of an emergency.

"I've found Elaine," Charles said, looking at everyone in the room.

It had been occupied by the Professor himself, Logan, Scott, Gambit, and Kurt. Storm wasn't in the room because she had been out with Hank shopping for groceries.

At the sound of Elaine's name though, everyone sighed with relief, until the Professor spoke further.

"Although, I'm afraid that Magneto has her," he announced, turning to look everyone in the eyes.

No one was happy upon hearing this. The fact of hearing any of this struck a nerve in Gambit, his fingers curling into his palms tightly til they were nearly white. Half crescent moons were visible on the bottom of his palms when they opened again, revealing the true fury inside.

No doubt something was terribly wrong. This whole thing bothered Gambit terribly because he now knew that Magneto had a hold of Elaine. He just hoped that he hadn't swayed her thoughts on outside matters, leaving her unwilling to return to her true home among the X-Men.

* * *

_There was nothing but darkness around me, nothing but darkness…_

"_Elaine…" I heard Gambit call._

_Light shown slightly, making him visible to the eye. He had a smile on his face as he stepped toward me, taking me in his arms._

_It all felt so real. It felt as though the terrors had never happened to me. It made me want to cry as I stood there, slowly wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him._

"_Gambit…" I whispered, holding onto him._

"_Oui, cheri?"_

_I just shook my head, unable to say anything. That is, until I saw his eyes. They were not their normal red and black, but instead, a bright yellow that sent me pulling back._

"_G-Gambit…" I stuttered, before stumbling back into nothingness._

* * *

When I woke up, I woke up gasping for air. My heart itself was pounding madly in my chest, painfully so, and my eyes were practically in tears. When I went to whip them though, I found myself unable to do so.

Looking around, I found myself in a different room than usual, with my hands bound with metal cuffs. Although, they were more like shackles in my opinion.

I sat there on the bed pulling at them for what seemed like hours before Mr. Lehnsherr came in.

"Ah, so good to see you awake my dear," he said warmly, which made me scowl at him.

"What is the meaning of this?" I asked sharply, tugging at the restraints on my throbbing wrists.

"Terribly sorry about that my dear, but it's for your own good and safety," he explained, looking over his shoulder at Sabertooth.

At this, I got a bit squeamish, pulling a bit more at the restraints.

"But why?" I groaned, continuing to pull.

While I was doing this, he came and sat on the edge of the, placing a hand on my cheek.

"Because…you're emotions are _clearly_ not in order, and if you continue how you've been going, someone is likely to get hurt," he said before standing up and pulling away.

All that I could do was stare at him in disbelief as he left me in that room, leaving Sabertooth outside to guard the door.

I wanted out of here with a passion now, a dreaded passion.

I woke back up a few hours later to sounds of fighting outside on the grounds. Constant yelling and fighting. I could only hope that it was Logan and the others that had come to retrieve me. With that thought in mind, I conjured all the strength and concentration that I could muster as I tried to locate him.

I was still new to this power of mine, so it quickly started to take its toll on me, draining my energy.

_Logan, down here! _I tried once I found him, pulling at my restraints in pure irritation.

* * *

"Elaine…" he whispered upon hearing her voice in his head, a faint smile on his face as he raced forward past the others.

"Hey, Wolverine, where ya goin'?" Gambit called over the fighting.

"To get Elaine!" he answered before quickly ascending down the pathway that had been cleared for him.

There were times such as this that he was glad to be a mutant with heightened senses, making it easier for him to find Elaine.

It didn't take long before he found the underground stairwell, leading him down below the ground.

"Elaine!" he shouted, his nose in the air as he sniffed around.

In the distance, he could hear a muffled call or at least it would have been if not for his excellent hearing.

* * *

"Logan!" I yelled, pulling at my restraints again.

I could feel the metal scrapping painfully at the skin of my wrists, tearing it each and every time that I pulled on them.

"Logan!" I called out once more, still pulling at the restraints despite the pain.

I nearly yelped when the iron door fell into the room and off its hinges, but instead smiled when I saw Logan.

"L-Logan," I choked out, a few tears falling from happiness as he rushed over to me, pulling me into a hug.

I winced though as the cuffs cut further into my wrist, the warm, nearly burning felling of blood trickling down becoming evident.

It took a few moments of looking at them before he just took his claws to the restraints cutting them and allowing them to hang from my wrists. After I was free, I threw my arms around his neck, hugging him close.

"I'm sorry about before Logan…" I whispered, burying my face in the crook of his neck.

He just sat there with his arms around me, before pulling me back a bit and kissing my forehead.

"Don't worry about it kid, I'm tougher than I look," he said with a chuckle.

"No duh," I laughed lightly, closing my eyes for a solitary moment.

It was then that I heard even more yelling outside, causing my head to shoot up.

"I think we need to get out of here before someone gets killed," I said, getting up off the bed and going to the door.

I nearly fell over as I stood there, but I didn't let Logan know that. I just wanted out of here and I couldn't afford to slow him down on getting out of here.

"Let's get out of here," he said, leading me toward the way out.

I was in such a hurry that I was nearly tripping over my own feet as we raced up the stairs.

I gasped though when I saw Gambit and Pryo fighting.

Cards and fireballs were being thrown back and forth at one another. If they kept up, someone was going to get seriously hurt.

So without thinking, I ran in between them, taking hits on both sides.

"Cheri!"

"Nova!"

That's what I heard as I stood there, coming close to toppling over, but I didn't. I stood there with blood slowly dripping from my fingers.

"Cheri!" Gambit shouted once more, before running toward me and embracing me.

My body went rigid when his arms touched me, and when he tried to kiss me, I pushed him away.

"Cheri?" he asked, hurt evident in his voice as his brows knitted together.

"Now's not the time Gambit," I whispered, my knees nearly giving out as I stood there.

He moved to grab me when he saw this, but I placed a hand up, stopping him.

"Don't, I'm fine," I whispered, trying to keep myself standing.

"But…cheri," he said, gently grabbing my upper arm.

I just sighed as I tried to pull away again, but found that his fingers merely tightened around my arm, keeping me in place.

"Gambit, let go," I said, my gaze slowly landing on Pryo as he stood there, mouth agape.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

**Well everyone, that was the LONG awaited chapter 23. Sorry that it took SO long. *glances are for hamster* I've just been really busy lately with college and the last couple weekends or so, I haven't had proper access to my laptop. I hope everyone will forgive me for this? Please, also remember to REVIEW and / or message me. I always enjoy reading everyones responses to my story. Thanks again everyone. :) *starts work on chapter 24***


	25. Chapter 24

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 24**

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

I turned to find Mr. Lehnsherr standing a few yards away from us. For a moment, I could have sworn that I felt my blood run cold.

"Cheri, get behind me," Gambit whispered, pulling me back a bit.

I obeyed and did as he asked, my hand slowly curling around a segment of his trench coat that was against his back. All that I could do was close my eyes, trying my best to stay standing, blood still dripping from my fingertips.

"So, you've decided to come and rescue her have you?" Mr. Lehnsherr asked, stepping forward a bit more.

He glanced around at everyone that stood there. A moment later, a smile come upon his face.

"Well, let's just see _where_ she's at," he said, slowly lifting his hand.

I then felt the metal cuffs rising, pulling me into the air. I cried out in pain as they once again sliced into my wrists, drawing more blood.

"Remy…" I whimpered, tears slowly falling amidst the pain.

"Cheri!" he hollered, running forward, only to be held back by Logan. "Damnit, let Gambit go," he yelled, fighting against Logan.

"Would you stop for a minute and use your head Gumbo?" Logan said through his teeth.

I watched as Scott made a move to press something on his visor, but was quickly stopped as it went flying.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you," Mr. Lehnsherr warned, stepping forward and bringing me closer to him.

I cried out as my body moved, feeling the blood slowly trickle down my side and off of my toes. It was then that Kurt spoke up, pointed out what everyone had failed to notice.

"She iz bleeding," he said, taking notice to the blood that ran from my wrists down.

* * *

Everyone looked up at her as she hung there, taking in her appearance. Like Kurt said, she was indeed bleeding.

The metal clasps that she wore had been cutting into the delicate flesh of her wrists far longer than Logan had come to realize.

From what they could tell, she was already weak and Gambit had been the first to truly take notice of it. When he had taken hold of her arm, her strength had faltered terribly, leaving her to show her vulnerability. What he hadn't understood was why she had pushed him away so freely as though she didn't want to really be near him. He knew that this wasn't the case though when she had called out to him in a whimper of pain as she hung before them by her bleeding wrists.

"Cheri!" he called, watching her turn her head faintly, her eyes slightly cloudy now. "D'at's it, I don' care no more!" he said, and with that he ran forward, drawing out several cards.

He charged them, letting them fly through the air as he threw them at Magneto, watching as they hit their target. At that moment, Elaine fell from the air, landing in Gambit's arms as he caught her. She barely made a sound as she lay there in his arms, her head coming to lay against him quietly.

"In the jet, now!" Scott ordered after getting help retrieving his visor.

"Stop them!" Magneto called, but Pyro just stood there as Gambit carried Elaine off.

He just couldn't bring his eyes away from the blood that ran off her seemingly limp fingers. Even the dull look on her face. No, he couldn't stop them, he _wouldn't_ stop them. Pyro knew that Magneto didn't have the proper supplies there to help her, so he wasn't going to stop them and possibly end her life as a result. So with that, Pyro turned and walked away, knowing the punishment that he would get later as a result.

* * *

"We have ta stop d'e bleedin'," Gambit said, nearly in hysterics.

She was still losing blood and he couldn't get the pieces of shirt that he had torn from his person properly against her skin.

At this, Scott got up and put the jet on autopilot, moving over to Gambit and Elaine.

"Hold her wrists out," Scott said, placing his visor on one of the lower settings.

Gambit did as he asked, gently taking hold of Elaine's wrists and holding them out for him. Everyone watched as the dangerous beam came out, destroying the cuffs one at a time. Once the pieces were brushed off, Gambit carefully wrapped the pieces that he'd torn from his shirt around her wrists. He tied them tightly, but not too tightly to hurt her, just enough to try and stop the bleeding.

Unfortunately, Gambit noticed that she was already on the pale side, her body shaking from loss of heat.

"Cheri…" Gambit whispered, "just hold on darlin'," he cooed, pulling her into his lap as he held her close, wrapping his coat around the both of them.

He was so happy to have her back, but at the same time saddened. He didn't know what had happened that ended her in the spot she was in now. He didn't know why she had run away, for he certainly hadn't done anything wrong, and he knew that Logan didn't do anything wrong either. Surely Scott wouldn't have been the reason, nor Sham, Ram or Slick. He couldn't think of anything that would have truly caused her to run away the way that she had done.

He sighed quietly as he sat there, running his fingers carefully through her hair. It was still as soft as he remembered. He smiled at the memory, also remembering a few others things, like the time he had massaged her back. He shivered at the memory for Logan had left him with a rather nice shiner for a couple weeks or so. One of his better memories though was when he had surprised her with ice skating on Christmas. Even last month when he had bugged her and tickled her, placing feather light kisses gently up her arm. Oh, her face had been so red when he did that, she looked just like a cherry or tomato that was ripe and ready to be picked.

"Oh, cheri," he breathed, kissing her forehead.

"R…y…" he faintly heard from her mouth.

Even in sleep and the brink of death, she still tried to speak his name.

This made him smile, even though it was a sad smile. He just wanted her to be okay again. He wanted her to be okay and wake up so that he could kiss her, hushing her from saying anything at all. He just wanted things to be as they had before, before any of this ever happened.

* * *

_Darkness everywhere I turned, it was cold, bone chilling darkness. I tried to picture someone standing there with me, Logan, Gambit, Scott, Kurt, Pyro, even Mr. Lehnsherr. I didn't care who, I just wanted something other than this chilling darkness, but it did little good…_

_I couldn't seem to get anywhere as I walked around, getting nowhere fast._

_I then remembered my wrists. The pain was still there in the distance, the warmth of the blood was my only comfort. The memory of it. I also remembered the warmth given to me when Logan had hugged me. It had been such a warm hug._

"_Logan…" I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself in a futile attempt of producing warmth._

_Nothing seemed to work. All that I wanted to do was sleep. Funny how that works, sleeping in a dream._

"_Ha…" I half laughed at myself as I laid down in nothingness._

* * *

"Come on, we have ta do somethin'!" Gambit shouted as he held Elaine's hand. "She needs our help," he said.

"I'm trying my best Gambit. These tools are very delicate," Hank explained as he sat them down on the table beside her.

* * *

"_It's so cold," I whined, turning over on my side, causing my hair to fall in my face._

_I just laid there and blew it out of my face in annoyance with a sigh._

* * *

"Use my blood," Gambit said, holding out his arm as he took his coat off.

"Hold up," Logan started, standing up and pulling Gambit's arm down. "How do we even know your blood's the right kind?" Logan asked.

"Hey, Gambit's not a t'ief for nothin'," he said, pulling out a copy of Elaine's medical record from his coat.

"Why you…" Logan made to advance on him when he put his hands up in the air.

"Hey, hey, ya really t'ink I'd go cartin' her around in broad daylight wi'd d'e possibility o' goons like Sabertooth around, huh?" he argued, setting the papers down on the table. "Non, Gambit not d'at stupid," he said, turning his gaze back to Elaine, who was still growing paler.

* * *

"_So…cold…" I whispered, curling into a ball, closing my eyes._

* * *

Gambit just sat there in a chair with his head down, a needle in his arm as Hank transferred his blood into Elaine. He didn't know what to do as he sat there, his eyes trailing to her pale face.

She looked so helpless as she laid there, her head tilted to the side in quiet surrender.

He then looked down at his shirt that now laid in his lap. It was torn to pieces and slightly singed. In fact, it had been one of his favorites, but he knew that it was worth it to save Elaine. Unlike his shirt that could always be replaced, Elaine couldn't be replaced, and he wouldn't want to replace her either.

"Cheri…" he whispered, leaning over and brushing her pale cheek softly.

He could barely wait for her to wake up so that he could hold her in his arms again and keep her safe. He wanted so much just to see her open her eyes, smile at him, and kiss him on the cheek. He just wanted her to be okay again.

He sighed as he held his hand there, turning in his seat, his fingers coming to brush her lips lightly. He then leaned forward, gently pressing his lips to hers, wishing that somehow by do that that it would wake her up somehow.

* * *

_I could almost feel myself fading as I laid there, the only thing keeping me here being a faint warmth in the back of my mind. I could almost feel someone's hand on my cheek and a presence on my lips, something so tender and warm, it left me yearning for more._

_Remy?_

_That was the first thing that came to my mind for some reason. The thought of having Remy near me, holding my hand and kissing my cheek. Such a warm and comforting thing._

"_Remy…"_

* * *

After what seemed like forever after Hank removed the needle, Elaine's hand twitched faintly underneath Gambit's hold causing him to look up with hope, but found nothing.

"Cheri…" he cooed softly, holding her hand against his cheek as he savored the feeling of it wishing that it was real. "Oh, Cheri, I just wants ya ta wake up again," he whispered in a soft tone, his eyes never leaving her, and his body never leaving her side.

Even when the others tried to pull him away to get some rest, he just wouldn't budge from her side where he was at. No, he wouldn't leave her, not like this. She had to wake up first before he would even consider doing something. He just wouldn't leave her side until she was awake again.

So with one more sigh, he pressed his lips to her forehead, nudging it slightly as he ran his thumb across the top of her hand. He whispered a few words to her, wishing that she would truly here them as she laid there.

**Okay everyone, that was chapter 24. I hope that everyone enjoyed it. Please, remember to REVIEW? I love hearing everyone's feedback on my story since it helps inspire me and gives me something to go on when I'm writing this. Remember, I can't keep writing if I don't see that I'm getting support for this story. So PLEASE review? Thanks everyone. Bye bye! -whistles a happy tune walking around with my hands behind my back-**


	26. Chapter 25

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 25**

**Secrets Within Memories**

It had been two days and Elaine still hadn't woken up. Yes, her hand would occasionally twitch or her eyelids would flitter back and forth, but she still wouldn't wake up. She seemed to be forever stuck in the world of dreams.

Gambit, the renowned Cajun still refused to leave her side, only ever briefly parting to use the bathroom every few hours. He just couldn't bring himself to leave.

"Gambit?" the Professor called, slowly wheeling into the room.

Gambit lifted his head to stare at the man before him, a sad smile gracing his face as he looked at the Professor.

"You still haven't left, have you?" Charles asked in a calm manner.

Gambit shook his head slowly.

"Non…how can I when she be like d'is?" he asked quietly, " How could Gambit leave her like d'is when she be so…so…merde!," he whispered, burying his face in his hands.

Seeing this, Charles came over to Gambit's side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Gambit looked up at him, his eyes wet and watery. The Professor had seen such things many times before, felt them even, but they never got any easier. He also knew how Gambit felt about Elaine. Frankly, in his opinion, it was a rather obvious thing. Then again, Charles could also see the inner workings of Gambit and Elaine as time went by. There was something there between them, a strong and loving bond that had developed for one another that no other could brake. Granted, people could test them and pull at them, poke and prod, but never could they truly brake the bond between the two. In fact, he'd never seen a pair more bound to each other than those two were from the very moment that they had met.

"I need to have a look at her again. Perhaps this time I'll be able to find something in the reaches of her mind," Charles said quietly, moving close to Elaine.

Gambit watched as the Professor closed his eyes, concentrating on sifting through Elaine's mind.

* * *

_She walked the streets alone at night, a mere child in the Professor's eyes. She was a young teenager who had lost her parents, who's sanity had run thin on the humanity around her, and who's heart had started to grow scared and cold._

"_Hey boys, look what we got here, a piece of mutant meat," a guy a few years older than her spoke._

_It was a guy from her neighborhood that had always had his eyes on her._

"_What do you want?" Elaine asked, carefully looking around her so as not to draw attention._

_As she stood there, a few more guys started to advance on her until she was backed up against a wall._

_All she could do was look around her as the man before her came closer to her, pressing her up against the wall. The fear in her eyes was obvious as she stood there staring at him._

"_Do you _really _want to know what I want Elaine?" he asked, bringing his lips slowly up to her ear and whispering something to her._

_When he finally pulled away, her eyes were wide, her face pale, and body shaking. She swallowed hard as she stood there, fingers curling into her palms._

_She was too scared to even move as he placed his hands on her, kissing her neck and using his hands to slowly feel her body. Although, the moment his hand started to move under her shirt, he was thrown back by an explosion._

_Two of the guys ran off, scared for their lives, while the rest stayed behind with mild anger in their hearts._

"_Why you little…" one of them got up and lunged at her, attacking her with his fists._

_A moment later, he was thrown back, but not by Elaine. It was someone else, a rather tall man with dark hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. His eyes were also a striking blue that seemed to set the night on fire, burning straight through your soul. Those eyes held a subtle cruelty behind them that went unseen by those around him._

"_W-who…who are y-you?" Elaine's shaky voice asked as she sat there on the ground against the wall._

_He merely smiled at her, readjusting his dolphin gray suit, before kneeling down in front of her._

"_Who am I?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to the side, "My name is Victor, Victor Stain," he said, brushing some hair out of Elaine's face. "Now, who might you be my dear?" he asked, staring at her intently._

_Elaine swallowed heavily, before attempting to open her mouth to answer._

"_M-my n-n-name is E-Elaine," she spoke softly, still a bit dazed._

"_And what is your last name?" he asked, their eyes locking with one another._

"_Conners," she said without hesitation, before blinking a few times._

_He had a faint smirk on his face before he spoke further._

"_Well, Miss Elaine Conners, why don't I escort you back home? A young lady such as yourself shouldn't be walking around at night alone like this," he said smoothly, gently pulling her to her feet._

_She just stood there watching him carefully._

"_I apologize…but I don't like strangers," she said quietly, rubbing her arms for warmth._

_All that he did was let out a chuckle._

"_Well, then let me put it this way. Would you rather have me, a stranger with a name or those nameless lowlifes?" he asked, his eyebrow raised in question._

_She didn't say a word, giving him the answer that he was looking for._

"_That's what I thought. Now, tell me where you live and I'll take you home little one," he said, carefully placing a hand on her shoulder._

_She pulled back for a moment, her arms still wrapped around herself._

"_I can't go back there," she whispered, looking away._

"_And why not? It is your home after all, is it not?"_

"_No…it's not…they never were," she whispered._

"_Take me to where you've been staying ," he said, lifting her chin to look at him._

_She slowly nodded her head, starting to walk back 'home' with the man beside her._

_Before they got to the door, Victor turned her around, before leaning down to her level._

"_Now," he started, taking hold of her delicate hand and placing some money into it, "I want you to take this money and buy yourself some new clothes, alright?" he asked, making sure that she was listening to him._

_She nodded her head slowly, a little unsure of herself, but he corrected that issue._

"_You need proper clothes my dear. From what I can tell, these _people_ are not providing you with such luxuries, are they?" he asked, receiving a solemn shake of her head._

"_No…they don't," she whispered._

"_Well, if you ever have problems with _humans _again, just call the number on this called and I'll be there to help," he said, pressing a small business card into her hands. "Now, let's finish this and get you inside," he said, leading her the rest of the way up to the door._

_With a sharp knock on the door, he stood there beside her, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder._

_When the door opened, they were met with that of a man. The look on his face was that of disgust as he looked down at Elaine, causing her to back away from him and hide against Victor's tall frame._

"_I see that you've found the little brat, I'm truly sorry that you had to bother bringing her home," the said, reaching forward and grabbing Elaine's arm painfully._

_Victor saw this and grabbed the man's wrist tightly in his hand, making him let go._

"_I suggest Sir, that you not handle this young lady in such a way or would you rather me report you to the authorities for child abuse?" Victor asked, squeezing the man's wrist tightly._

"_N-no Sir," the man all but whimpered, causing Victor's lips to turn up into a satisfies expression._

_At that, he let go of the man's wrist and turned to Elaine, leaning down to her level and whispering into her ear._

"_Call me within the week and I'll see if I can't find you some place more…suitable," he said, before coming to stare at her eyes. "Alright?" he asked._

_She quickly nodded her head, glancing carefully at the man at the door, before slipping past him into the house. The man in question got ready to close the door when Victor quickly caught it._

"_Now, remember what we talked about. Otherwise, there'll be hell to pay," Victor warned, before stepping away from the door and allowing the man to slam it shut in fear._

* * *

"That man…" the Professor whispered to himself as he opened his eyes.

He could have sworn that after the door closed in her memory and the man had looked right at him, mouthing something quietly that he could have sworn was his name.

"Victor Stain, why does that sound so familiar," Charles asked himself.

"Wait a minute, you mean shadow creeper man!" Gambit asked, sitting up in his seat.

"Shadow creeper? Wait…Specter," the Professor's eyes widened in realization.

"D'at's it, d'at's his name," Gambit said, hate in his voice. "D'at man can play a mean game o' poker," Gambit said, "AND he be down right dangerous."

The Professor nodded his head in agreement. Victor Stain was definitely not a man to be messed with, that was for sure. This also made Charles think carefully.

"Gambit?"

"Oui, Professor?" Gambit responded, turning himself to face him.

"How many times have you run into this man?" the Professor asked, waiting for an answer.

Gambit sat there and thought for a few moments, his hand tapping his chin.

"Gambit don' know how many, but I do know d'at I come across d'e man quite a few times," he said, looking back over at Elaine. "D'e man be dangerous and he be one tricky bastard," he said.

He then looked back at the Professor.

"What he have ta do wit' Cheri d'ough," he asked curiously.

"That's exactly what I'm going to find out. I've only come across him a few times, though the stories I've heard plenty of," he explained, moving his chair back just a bit.

He then looked at Gambit once more.

"Apparently, he met Elaine a few years ago when she ran into some trouble," he started, brushing his hand over her face for a moment, "Without going back in, that's all that I can tell you," he stated.

Gambit nodded his head.

"D'en we better find out soon what he have ta do wit' Cheri, cuz if he touch her…let's just say, Gambit won' be too happy," he said, cracking a few stiff knuckles.

**Ok, that's chapter 25. I hope that everyone enjoyed it. Please rememeber to review?**


	27. Chapter 26

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 26**

**Waking Up**

The following day, Elaine finally woke up around noon to Gambit sitting beside her, a warm smile on his face.

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes to find Gambit staring right at me with those red and black eyes of his. At this, I nearly jumped out of my skin, scooting back and pulling on the cords that were on me. I winced as they pulled my sensitive skin, a few of the cords coming loose in the process.

"Whoa d'ere, Cheri, calm down darlin', it be alright," Gambit said, carefully taking hold of my arm.

All I did was shake, making him frown. At the sight of his saddened face though, I stopped, staring at him carefully.

Biting my lip, I scooted a bit closer to him, watching as his frown slowly turned into a smile.

"Remy…" I whispered, my hand curling and uncurling around the sheet beneath me, not knowing what to do.

"Oui, cheri?" he asked, letting his hand move down to mine, turning it over with his own so that our fingers were intertwined for a moment.

"I…" I started, but I just couldn't seem to get the words out of my mouth properly or think for that matter even.

Instead, he hushed me with a gentle kiss on the lips, making me cry a bit from past memories.

His brows knitted tightly together as he saw this, not understanding why I was crying.

"Cheri, what's wrong? Please don' cry darlin'," he said, flipping my hand over and kissing my palm gently.

For some reason, that small and simple gesture seemed to put me at ease a bit, allowing me to calm down. My only problem was that I still had my mind set on what happened that night that I ran off. As a result, I pulled my hand away from him.

"Cheri, what's wrong?" he asked a bit firmer this time, but I didn't say anything. "Cheri, why don' ya want Gambit touchin' ya?" he questioned.

"Why ask when you already know the answer?" I said bitterly, trying to hide my face.

He seemed speechless at the mention of my question, not knowing what to say.

"Cheri, what are you talkin' 'bout?" he pushed further as though oblivious to the problem.

I was getting ready to yell at him when Scott walked in, saving me from doing it.

"What's going on in here?" he asked as he walked towards us, noticing the look of distress on my face.

I took this opportunity to relieve myself of dealing with this by asking him to escort Gambit out of the room. It almost hurt seeing the look on Gambit's face as Scott kicked him out of the room, but it had to be done.

* * *

For the whole week that I was back, I didn't really say anything to anyone. Yes, I went to my classes and did my homework, but I didn't say anything to anyone.

It seemed to be one question after another though and Gambit still wouldn't leave me alone. I just couldn't understand why it was that he kept acting as if he had no idea what happened, it was like he had absolutely no clue at all, and it was really starting to bug me. He knows what he did, so why even continue with this delusion?

I got even more annoyed when I had Logan asking me what happened and why I had run off. I told him the same thing every time. I'd tell him to ask Gambit and he did every single time, but Gambit was adamant that he knew nothing about it and was trying to find out the same thing that Logan and everyone else was.

I sighed as I thought about all of it, thinking of how annoying and upsetting all of it is.

I looked up from my homework when I heard a knock on my door, telling me that someone was there. I didn't really expect anyone to bother me right now, but I guess I was wrong.

"What is it?" I asked, glancing back down at my homework for a moment.

My door opened a moment later, revealing Logan. He didn't say anything as he closed my door. He just walked over to my desk and took me by the shoulders, turning me around in my chair.

"What?" I asked, a bit startled.

"Look, I'm gonna ask you one more time kid, what happened? You keep telling me to ask Gumbo, but he doesn't know a damn thing," he told me.

All it did was make me mad.

I pushed away from him with an angry look on my face.

"Fine, you want to know what happened? You want to know why I ran off? He tried to force himself on me Logan! That's why, that's why I left!" I yelled, tears starting to pour from my eyes in anger.

He just stood there for a moment, staring at me in disbelief.

"He what!"

Uh-oh…maybe I shouldn't have said anything. The next I know, he stomped out of the room and straight for Gambit's.

"Logan, wait!" I yelled, running after him, but it was too late.

Logan had already burst into Gambit's room and had him by the collar of his shirt.

"You've got to the count of 3 to start talking bub," Logan said, his claws already out and poised at Gambit's neck.

"C-come on Wolverine, what's goin' on?" Gambit stuttered as he tried to get away from Logan.

"You tried to force yourself on her and you think that's nothing?" Logan growled, a murderous glint in his eyes.

The moment he said that, Gambit looked outraged. In fact, he was livid.

"I did no such t'ing! Gambit neva do somethin' like d'at!" he cried.

It was my turn to yell this time though.

"Then who the hell was it Gambit because it sure as hell looked like you," I yelled, coming to stand in front of him, my hands clenched tightly.

He just looked down at me with disbelief.

"Cheri, you know d'at I would never do somethin' like d'at to you, never. It be against Gambit ethics to do such a t'ing," he said, finally pulling loose of Logan's hold.

Although the moment he did that, I pushed him hard against the wall, tears in my eyes.

"Then who was it! Who was it Remy? If it wasn't you, then who?" I cried, gripping his shirt tightly in my hands.

He just looked down at my with a sullen look in his eyes. In those eyes, I could see that he was telling the truth, but even with that…what was I supposed to believe? I knew what I saw, I knew who had been in front of my, my eyes couldn't have lied to me. It just wasn't possible. Who else could it have been if not Gambit? Even then, I knew that something wasn't right when it had happened. Gambit was right, it was completely against his ethics and morals. Although the question still remained, who else could it have been then.

It was then that I thought about my dream, those yellow eyes that had stared down at me, an evil look resonating from them.

So, placing my head down, I paused for a moment.

"Yellow eyes…does that mean anything to either of you?" I asked quietly with tear-filled eyes.

At the mere mention of that, both of them seemed to freeze.

"Mystic?" Logan nearly choked as he said this.

"Who's Mystic?" I asked with a sniffle.

"She be a shape shifter," Gambit told me, "Why ya ask?"

When I heard him say that, my face went pale, and suddenly I felt sick to my stomach. My hand quickly went to my mouth, bile slowly coming up my throat.

"T-t-trashcan," I shuttered, throwing up the moment that he had it in front of me.

"Ya alright Cheri?" he asked carefully, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I just shook my head spitting into the trashcan.

"Ew…that means…that I…I...oh god!" I spit into the trashcan once more. "A woman kissed me!" I yelled, wrapping my arms around myself.

I then realized something. It had all been a ploy to get me to leave. Someone wanted me to leave and that was why I ended up getting into that accident as a result of blind judgment.

"Attendez une minute. What?" he asked, placing his hands together and praying that he had heard me wrong. "S-she…kissed you? Cheri, please tell ol' Remy ya jokin'?" he asked, taking my hands in his.

The look in his eye was pleading, begging me to tell him different, but I could not. Not to mention the look on Logan's face.

"Remy…I wish I was…Lord, I wish I was!" I hung my head as I sat there, disgusted with myself as my head set against his shoulder.

All Logan could do was growl as he quickly left the room, likely in search of the Professor to tell him what he found out.

Gambit seemed to notice the problem and pulled me back, gently taking my face in his hands.

"Cheri, don' put ya self down. It wasn' ya fault," he whispered, brushing the water from my eyes and trailing his thumb over my lips. "Now, was it anyt'ing like d'is?" he asked as he pressed his lips against mine.

I could feel the heat rising in my face as he did this, his lips pressing softly against mine with a soft loving passion. He then pulled back for a moment, letting me speak.

"No…it wasn't," I told him, looking back into his eyes, before hesitantly pulling his head back down toward mine.

It was then that my lips met his, it was _me_ kissing _him_ instead of the other way around. I could feel the corner of his lips pulling into a smile as I kissed him.

"Oh, Cheri, you don' know how long I been waitin' for d'at," he said, resting his forehead against mine.

"And how long have you been waitin' Mr. LeBeau?" I asked.

He chuckled at this.

"Remy been waitin' a _long_ time for it," he said with a smile as kissed me again and pulling me into his arms.

I couldn't help but laugh at this. I had spent so much time in fear of this, only to find out that it was all for nothing. As I stood there, I saw a tear fall from his eye, which caught me off guard. I then brought a tentative hand up to his face, gently whipping it away.

"You've always told me not to cry, but what about you Remy?" I asked staring at the tear on my finger.

He merely let out a light laugh, wrapping his arms around me.

"Cheri, d'ere be somethin' I been wantin' ta ask ya," he announced, pulling back just a bit.

"And what's that Remy?" I asked, watching his smiling face.

"Cheri…Elaine…would ya officially be Gambit girlfriend?" he asked.

I smiled at this.

"No," I said, watching his face fall, I then placed my finger to his lips, "but I _will_ be Remy's girlfriend," I told him, watching the newfound joy in his eyes as he bent down and captured my lips with his own.

"Oh, Cheri, I love you," he whispered softly, a few more tears falling.

I could only smile as I saw this, gently kissing away his tears.

"And…I love you too," I whispered into his ear and wrapping my arms around his neck.

I had never thought that in a million years that something like this would happen, but I guess it did. Finally, something was going right for me. I had Gambit by my side, someone that loved me for me and would always be there for me. I finally had someone to call my own…Gambit.

**Ok everyone, that was chapter 26. I hope that everyone liked it. Please remember to REVIEW? I would really like to see what everyone thought of this chapter because I wasn't completely sure when writing it.**


	28. Chapter 27

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 27**

It had been 2 weeks now since things had been dubbed official with me and Remy. It was actually rather nice to be honest. Even better, it wasn't nearly as awkward anymore.

I smiled as I stood out in the gardens, Spring slowly creeping along and allowing different flowers to bloom. It was beautiful out here and that is exactly why I picked this place. It was perfect serenity, allowing me to listen to some of the music on my radio in peace.

I couldn't help but smile when one of my favorite songs started to play, reminding me of Gambit. It was _Bless the Broken Road_ by Rascal Flatts.

It was a song that fit us perfectly and I couldn't help but dance around and sing along to it.

I just twirled around with no specific direction in mind, an almost sad smile on my face at times as a few memories swept through my mind as a result of the song, but I still smiled nonetheless as I enjoyed myself.

Out of the corner of my eye though, I saw Gambit standing there with a content smile on his face as he watched me, listening to the words of the song and nodding his head in tune with the beat.

When the line _pointing me on my way into your loving arms _came, I walked over to him and wrapped my arms are his neck, smiling up at him. He took this as a sign to start moving with me, quietly dancing around the garden together.

I smiled happily as we danced, just going around in random circles. In fact, I almost felt like crying even, just because of everything that has happened.

"So, Remy be your lover now, eh?" he asked after the song ended, referring to one of the lines in it.

This made me laugh as I laid my head against him.

"I guess it does," I said quietly, a small smile on my face.

All that he could do was grin as we stood there, making me think that he might possibly be slap happy after hearing my answer.

"Well, then Gambit guess ya wouldn' mind givin' ya lover a kiss d'en, oui?" he asked, a hopeful smile on his face.

As an answer, I stood up on my tip toes and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Does that answer your question Remy?" I giggled watching his slightly red faced reaction.

"Now, d'at's what Remy be talkin' 'bout," he said gleefully, before picking me up and twirling me around.

"Remy!" I squealed, closing my eyes as he twirled me around.

There seemed to be a whole nother side of him since we've been together. He's more lively and fun loving, so happy and content. I've never seen him like this before, but here it is all the same, he was happy as can be.

"Remy," I laughed as he pulled me close, allowing me to wrap my arms around his neck.

He just smiled at me, letting me hang from his neck, a cheeky smile on his face.

"Now, why don' we dance ta somethin' more...Gambit style," he announced, going back over to my radio and turning the stations until jazz music started playing like the kind you'd find in Louisiana.

He grinned at me as he twirled me around, tapping his feet all over the place. I couldn't help, but to laugh as he did all of this. It was so intertaining and fun as he continued with all of this.

"No wonder they call you the Ragin' Cajun," I said with a laugh.

"Oh, d'ey don' call me d'e Ragin' Cajun for nothin' cher," he said, quickly pressing his lips against mine.

"So that's why then?" I asked, an eyebrow raised.

"D'at too," he chuckled.

"Lovely," I laughed, a smile on my face. "What am I going to do with you Remy?" I asked, our dancing starting to slow down just a bit.

"Don' know Cheri, what _are_ ya gonna do wit' me?" he grinned, pressing me up against him a bit as he wrapped his arm around my waist.

I smiled at him, leaning up and kissing him softly on the lips.

"I'm not quite sure yet, but I'll think of something eventually I'm sure."

We both let out a chuckle at that, smiles on both of our faces. Although, after a few minutes, his face became a bit more serious.

"Remy, what's wrong?" I asked, my brows furrowing a bit as I saw the look on his face.

"Désolé, Cheri. Gambit be t'inkin' 'bout t'ings lately..." he muttered quietly.

I sighed at this, moving away for a moment and turning the radio off. I then stood back up and walked over to him, tugging on his hand to get his attention.

"Sit down with me?" I gave him a half smile as I asked this, watching him nod and sit down on the grass.

He sighed quietly, running his hand through his hair, leaving his hand there.

I carefully pulled his hand away, making him look at me as I stroked his cheek with my thumb.

"Remy, tell Cheri what's wrong?" I said with a soft smile.

This made him chuckled slightly, his lips turning upward into a small smile.

"Is nothin' really Cheri, just a few t'ings Remy found out 'bout lately," he explained.

"Like what Remy?" I questioned, wanting to know what was wrong.

"Well, I-"

"Hey, Gumbo!" Logan called, "Xavier wants ya," he said, walking over to us.

I sighed in annoyance as he did this, interrupting what Gambit was going to tell me. Then before I could even do anything, Logan dragged him inside by the back of his coat.

* * *

"What's d'e meanin' of d'is?" Gambit asked, pulling free of Logan.

The other man just growled at him for a moment.

"Just shut up Gumbo and get in there," Logan said, pointing to the door.

Gambit felt like sticking his tongue out at him, but thought better of it as he turned his back to him and walked through the door. There, he was met by the Professor sitting at his desk, a few papers spread out here and there.

"Ah, Gambit, there you are," he greeted kindly. "Please, take a seat," he said, gesturing toward the chairs.

Gambit nodded his head as he sat down, giving a quick glance in Logan's direction.

"I apologize for the sudden intrusion Gambit, but there are a few things that I wanted to discuss with you," Charles explained.

* * *

After a good 30 minutes, I decided to go and get something to eat. Sitting in one spot forever wasn't doing me any good and I was starting to get hungry anyway.

"Let's see here," I muttered quietly to myself as I raided the refrigerator.

After searching for a couple minutes, I came across some of last nights chicken. I smiled in satisfaction as I pulled it from the fridge and dispersing upon a paper plate, that I then shoved into the microwave.

2 minutes later, the thing was beeping, telling me that my meal was ready.

Not even a fourth of the way into my meal, someone placed their hand on my shoulder making me jump.

I whirled around to find none other than Gambit standing there stifling a laugh. I glared at him softly, my hand over my heart as I made an attempt to quiet my breathing.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack Remy?" I asked, fixing my shirt a bit, before stuffing a few pieces of chicken into my mouth.

"Remy didn' mean ta startle ya Cheri, honest I didn'," he said, a nervous look on his face.

I just shook my head at him, munching down on my chicken a bit more. That is, until he decided to take some of it.

"Hey, that's my chicken!" I shouted, pouting as it disappeared into his mouth.

"Is good too," he chuckled, grabbing hold of me and ruffling my hair a bit.

"Remy!" I squealed, trying to pull away, but he wouldn't let me.

Instead, he kissed my forehead, resting his head on top of mine.

"Remy?" I questioned, lifting my eyes up to look at him.

"Oui, Cheri?" he responded, his eyes seemingly a bit sullen.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He just shook his head.

"Nothin' Cheri, Gambit just gotta leave for a mission. Gambit be gone for a few days is all," he explained.

"Then what the problem?"

"Well, it means I gotta be away from ya for a while," he told me, a small smile forming on his lips.

"Why you sneaky man," I laughed, wrapping my arms around him in a hug. "Don't worry, I'll be here when you get back," I said, smiling at him, only to be met with a shake of the head.

"Non, Cheri, you got a mission of ya own," he told me, causing my brows to furrow.

"You're kidding me right? I mean...you can't be serious? I'm not even used to things yet," I told him, a bit startled at having this thrown on me.

"Come on, Cheri, you'll be fine," Gambit reassured me.

I was still a bit leery about it though.

**Ok everyone, there's chapter 27. I hope everyone liked it? I apologize if it might take me a bit longer getting out. I no longer have microsoft word on my laptop so it's a pain in the butt. Anyway, please remember to REVIEW? I always love hearing from everyone about what their opinions are on my stories. -looks around for possible zombie hamster- Hi Bite! ^-^**


	29. Chapter 28

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 28**

I never would have thought that a mission could be so hectic. Granted, I had only been sent a few states over, but still.

I think what got me the most was the fact that I was forced to descend into the sewers. That was only after chasing said mutant that I was ordered to apprehend.

This mutant had been causing serious problems above ground. What really sucked was that they seemed to find safety below ground in the sewer system. At least I wasn't alone though, I had Bobby, aka Iceman with me.

"Hey, Nova, did you see where he went?" Bobby asked me as we continued further into the sewer system.

I merely raised a hand up to silence him for a moment, tentatively listening to the sounds around me. I heard the sudden rippling of water a few meters ahead of us.

"That way!" I called out, running forward quickly after the mutant.

Bobby tried his best to keep up with me, but was having a bit of trouble given my kinetic based abilities. I had found out a while ago that my issue with exhilerated speed had to do with my kinetic abilities and at the time I was subconsciously using them to move faster.

I was somewhat happy when I found that Gambit could use his for the same thing. In fact, I realized that I could learn a lot from him about my powers and how to use them properly. Although, he was still adement in telling me that I had a few accessible bits of my powers that he could not manipulate with his own. So, unfortunately, I was on my own with a few of them. Anything else though, he was more than willing to help me with.

"Nova! Watch out!" Bobby yelled, but I wasn't fast enough and was hit with a large force of water, knocking me to the watery ground.

Moments later I started cough, spitting out the water from the attack.

"Move!" Bobby called, quickly moving me out of the way before I could be bombarded with water again.

"Thanks," I sputtered, quickly standing up and facing our apponent.

"I'm not going anywhere with the likes of you two!" the man yelled in outrage.

"Please Sir, we're not here to try and hurt you, we just want to-" I was interrupted by another blast of water, knocking me right into the cylinder pipping of the tunnel system.

I groaned as I sat there, slowly realized that as a few more shadows appeared, we weren't dealing with just one man alone.

"Great work in luering them down here Jamesen," a woman said, her eyes glowing a bright green in the darkness of the sewer.

Even with our flashlights, we still couldn't seem to light the room up properly to the point where we could see everyone in it.

"Thanks Jade, I try my best," the man that we were chasing now known as Jamesen said.

"Why couldn't the Professor have sent Logan with us?" I whispered.

"You're telling me," Bobby said back.

He then looked around at everyone in the room.

"We have to stick together on this one Nova," Bobby told me, slowly moving over to help me up.

I was still dizzy, so I had to lean against him for a moment or two. After that though, I was pretty much good to go.

Once we started fighting, we soon found that our plan to stick together wasn't quite working out for us. We ended up being to spread out from each other, leaving us both vulnerable against our apponents.

Granted, Bobby kept freezing the water and building barriers around himself when things got too overwhelming, but I wasn't so lucky.

I had to dodge once again as the woman known as Jade leapt at me, slicing at me with her nails. I only found out after they cut into my skin that they were coated in a painful acid, burning my skin terribly.

I jumped out of the way quickly, avoiding an attack from behind from another man. Black flames of sorts flying past my head.

"Idiot! Watch where you're aiming!" Jade yelled at the man as it came within a few inches of her. "Get her!" she yelled as I tried to move away towards Bobby.

I only made it a few feet before I felt water licking at my skin and wrapping around me tightly like no other.

Slowly, it made it's way up to my neck and then to my nose and mouth, sufficating me. I tried my best to break free of it, but it merely forced it's way down my throat and into my lungs, choking me.

Eventually, I could barely breathe at all. It was then that I heard a voice out ranking Bobby's cries for them to let me go.

"Enough! I never said to kill her," a man said, revealing himself in the little bit of light that there was.

At that, the man let me go, the water falling to the ground along with myself. I began coughing feverishly, hacking up as much as I possibly could. It was rediculous how much water had gotten into my system. In the end though, it made me rather weak, depriving my lungs of much needed oxygen.

When I looked up, I saw the man now standing merely a few yards away from me. He seemed so familiar, but I didn't know how.

"Who..." I started.

"Hello, Elaine," he spoke with confidence in his voice, a rather swave undertone lingering within it as well.

A moment later, I felt something colliding with the back of my neck, sending me straight into darkness.

* * *

Bobby laid there, tied and unconscious on the steps of the institute. A man had brought him back to the mansion via teleporting and a note attatched to him for Xavier to find.

* * *

"Bobby, you have to tell us what happened," Logan said, grabbing him by his shoulders and shaking him a bit.

"It was a trap. The mutant that we were sent after was part of an even bigger group. They were expecting us...and they got Elaine," Bobby explained sadly.

"What ya mean d'ey got Elaine? What'd d'e do ta ma Cheri?" Gambit pushed as he ran his hand through his hair and threw his other out from his side.

He had just gotten back from his mission a couple hours ago to find a giant mess awaiting him. His cheri was gone and all that had returned was Bobby and a note that had been pined to his leather suit.

Gambit had been enraged at the note that had been addressed mainly to him.

_Looks like the cards are in my favor now Cajun. Sure you don't want to join me?_

That was all that it said, Elaine's rose bracelet falling from it when they had first opened it. If that wasn't a dead give away in letting them know that he had her, then Gambit didn't know what was. What he did know though was that he had to get her back and soon, before something terrible happened to her. For he knew that this man was not one to be triffled with.

"I'm sorry Gambit, all I know is one minute we're fighting and then the next she's knocked out, same as me," Bobby told him, a defeated tone in his voice.

He knew how much Elaine meant to Gambit and unfortunately, he wasn't able to save her, he hadn't even been able to save himself.

"I'm sorry Gambit, I really am," he tried to apologize, but Gambit just walked right out of the room and outside, bracelet clutched in his hand.

He had finally gotten her back not even a month ago and she was already pulled from his loving arms once again. He just couldn't stand it knowing that Victor of all people had a hold of her, and he knew that he was the one behind this, the one that had his Elaine. That snake in the grass of a man, if you can even call him a man that is. He sure as hell didn't act like a respectable man, that was for sure. He just hoped that Elaine was alright.

"Merde!" he hissed, slamming his hand against one of the walls in the hall.

From there, he went outside to try and cool off, but even that could only do so much for poor Remy.

He was merely left to suffer with the knowledge of Elaine's disappearance and capture. Knowing full well what Victor could do to his darling Elaine. So out of anger and rage, he let loose a mighty rampage of power, blowing a poor tree to bits.

Afterwards, he fell to his knees, pounding the ground with his fists.

"Gambit?" Charles called carefully as he wheeled out into the yard.

Gambit barely even raised his head to look at the man as he came closer to him. He just continued to sit there in his sorrow, his fingers digging into the ground.

"Gambit, please, you must calm down," the Professor told him, "We'll find her, I promise you that we will find her," he said, placing a hand on his quivering shoulder.

All that Gambit did was shake his head.

"You don' know what d'at man could do ta her. He be too damn sadistic...even Magneto ain't d'at bad Professor," he told him, running his hand through his brown locks of hair with a sigh.

He then rose from his spot on shaky legs, breathing still rouged, and hands shaky.

"We need to go after her," Gambit said, trying to move back towards the mansion, but only ended up collapsing on his knees with a groan.

"Gambit, you are tired, you need to rest," Charles said, calling for Logan and Scott's help.

Moments later, the two men were walking out of the mansion and towards Gambit and the Professor. Surprisingly enough, Gambit didn't try and fight them off as they lift him up, helping him back inside.

Once they got him into his room, Scott left with a nod of his head, leaving Logan behind to tend to him if need be.

"You know Gumbo, you can't beat yourself up about this," Logan started, leaning against the wall nearest to the door. "We'll find her, I'll promise you that one. After all, with this nose of mine, I'm sure to sniff her out," he said with a hearty laugh, but Gambit didn't share in his laughter.

Gambit merely stayed quiet, turning away from Logan.

"Come on kid, you've gotta cheer up a bit. Do you really think that Elaine would like it if she saw you like this?" Logan asked, pulling at Gambit's shoulder a bit.

Gambit sighed and shook his head, his bangs falling in front of his eyes, shielding them from Logan's sight.

"Non, she wouldn', but..."

"No buts Gumbo. It's simple, just cheer up. Hold onto that bracelet and cheer up," Logan told him, before pushing off of the wall and walking to the door.

"Hey...Wolverine?"

"Yeah Gumbo?" Logan turned to look over his shoulder, his hand resting on the door frame.

"T'anks..." Gambit said quietly, before turning back over and looking at the wall.

Logan chuckled for a moment before walking out of the room.

"Don't thank me just yet," he muttered, shutting the door behind him.

"Je vais vous trouver et vous revenez, Elaine, je vous promets," he whispered, looking down at the bracelet before closing his eyes.

**Ok everyone, there's chapter 28. I hope that there was plenty of suspence in it for you? Please, remember to REVIEW? I'd love to hear what everyone has to say about this chapter. I'm always open to creative criticism. -dances around happily for no apparent reason, save for getting another chapter out- XD **


	30. Chapter 29

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 29**

"Elaine, time to wake up," I heard a voice calling out to me.

Moments later, I opened my eyes to find the man from before sitting at my bedside.

I quickly jumped away, moving against the wall in fright as I stared at him. He merely chuckled at my display, before standing up and approaching.

"Tsk, tsk my dear, you must calm down," he said, placing a hand at either side of me on the wall, leaving me with no place to go.

"W-who are you?" I choked out, my eyes darting over his face and eyes.

Although, I found out too late the mistake of looking him in the eyes. Once I did that, I couldn't even move. I frozen in place upon staring at his icy blue eyes. I could see that they were calculating and clever, while still holding a venomous allure to them that I couldn't quite place.

"Who am I? I thought we answered this question years ago my dear girl," he laughed, slowly sliding his hand down against my cheek, his fingertips rolling over it ever so gently.

The feeling itself that he gave me made me quiver.

"My name, my dear Elaine, is Victor Stain. Now, do you remember?" he questioned, watching me slowly shake my head.

I watched as he placed a hand over his heart.

"I'm hurt, really I am my dear," he said pretending to be physically hurt by my words.

Then, before I knew what was happening, his eyes starting glowing. He then pressed himself against me, pressing his lips to mine.

I felt sick as I stood there, feeling my insides turning something afoul. It was then that my eyes met his and I could feel him smirking against my lips. He then quickly twirled me around, my back pressing against his chest as he kept one arm around my waist and his other hand over my eyes.

"Remember me now?" he whispered.

Images flooded my mind like a dream being thrown at my face. I couldn't breathe as I stood there being reminded of that night years ago when I had been saved. The threats that had been made to my foster father, and the short moment of feeling safe. Although, when all was said and done, I pulled away quickly.

"G-get off me!" I yelled, pushing him away only to have him laugh at me.

I fell to the floor, a few scared tears falling from my eyes, roughly whipping my mouth on my sleeve.

"Come now, I'm sure that it couldn't have been that bad," he said, crouching down in front of me. "In fact, I've been told that I'm a rather good kisser," he taunted.

All that I did was glare at him and spit on the ground in front of him. He frowned at this, taking hold of the side of my face.

"You've grown into quite a beautiful young woman Elaine, it's a shame that your manner do not current match them," he scowled, but I didn't care, I just pulled away from him.

"I have manners, but you don't seem to have any," I spat, wishing to rid myself of the taste that he left in my mouth.

If only Remy were here... Lord, he'd be furious, but at least he'd get me away from this man.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I not as good as your little lover boy?" he asked, referring to Gambit.

"Not even close!" I yelled, "Remy is more of a man than you'll ever be!" I glared at him, hate and distaste filling my eyes.

"We'll see about that," he said with a cocky tone in his voice as he grabbed my face and crushed his lips against mine.

I tore away from him with disgust.

"It's a shame, if only you were a bit more obidient, then we could have some real fun. Alass, it must wait til later," he said as he stood back up and left the room, locking it behind him.

After that, all that I could do was cry. Tears falling from my eyes at a rapid pace and the sound of me gasping for air filling the room.

* * *

"Where could d'ey have taken her?" Gambit asked more to himself than anything as him and Logan traversed the underground sewer system.

Logan had led them to where the fight had broken out and caught wind of the scent of 6 other mutants besides Elaine and Bobby. Gambit was sure that one of them belonged to Victor according to what Bobby told them.

"One woman, five men," Logan stated, walking around a bit more and sniffing the air.

He also caught Elaine's scent as well and started running through the tunnel.

"Hey, wait for Gambit!" Gambit called out, running after Logan with a large flashlight in his hand.

He followed Logan down a few more turns of tunnels, until they spotted muddy footprints on the down and a few places where it looked like someone had been dragged. That someone they knew had to be none other than Elaine yourself.

"D'at bastard," Gambit mumbled, trudging forward passed Logan and searching the ground for more clues.

It was when Logan stopped mid step that caught Gambit's attention though.

"Ya find somethin'?" Gambit asked, his eyes looking around him.

Logan just put up a hand, sniffing the air for a moment. He then walked up to a wall, pushing against it. They heard a creeking sound.

"Hey Gumbo, get your ass over here and help me," Logan called, motioning with his hand for help.

Together, they pushed the wall open, revealing a hidden path.

"I think we'd better get everyone down here," Logan said, moving his hand to the communicator in his ear. "Yeah, we found something. Get down here."

* * *

"Now, I'm only going to ask you this one more time Elaine. Will you join me or not.

I shook my head, glaring at the man before me.

"No..." I hissed, moving away from him.

He just sighed before standing back up and retrieving something from a table. I watched him carefully as he drew closer to me once more.

"W-what is that?" I questioned moving as far away from the man as possible.

He grinned at me, producing a vile of sorts.

"This is merely something that I..._commandeered _from a man by the name of William Stryker," he told me, before lashing out and pinning me against the wall.

I groaned in protest as the air was momentarily knocked out of my lungs, stunning me for a moment. He then pressed his lips roughly against mine, biting my lip and drawing blood, before grabbing me harshly by the back of the neck. Moments later, I felt something like acid stinging my skin, and then all conscious control seemed to leave me.

"There we go, much better. Now, no more fighting me," he cooed, trailing his nails lightly over my cheek.

On the inside, I was wincing at his touch, screaming to be let go of whatever control he had over me. It did me little good though as I continued to stand there like a motionless doll.

"Now, dance with me my sweet," he commanded, turning to play some music.

Moments later, we were dancing across the floor to the classical melody. The whole time he kept twirling me and pulling me close, attempting to kiss my neck. All of this made me want to throw up whatever I had in my stomach. Unfortunately, that didn't happen though, but I would have laughed if it had. Oh, how I wish that it had.

"Very good my dear, you're an excellent dancer. Has anyone ever told you this?" he asked.

"Yes," was the simple answer that came out of my mouth.

"And who told you this?"

"Remy LeBeau," I answered, unable to lie or say anything else.

At the sound of his name, he seemed to grow slightly angry, but placed that on the back burner of things.

"Really now? Remy LeBeau?"

I nodded my head to his question.

"Remy is an excellent dancer as well," I spoke quietly against my will, even if the statement was true.

All I could hear was the sound of Victor growling in annoyance and frustration.

"Hm...I think I would rather continue our conversation from earlier," he said, a cruel smile on his face as he pushed me roughly down onto the bed.

The fact that terrified me the most was the fact that I couldn't move to stop him as he ravaged my skin with his mouth, kissing at my neck, biting at it for his own self pleasure. As he did this though, I felt a few tears spill from my eyes. He just laughed at me for this as his hands roamed my body without permission. I was screaming in my head for him not to touch me.

_Remy! Logan! Professor! Anybody! _I cried out in my mind desperately, but of course none answered.

_Bastard!_ I cried, wishing to God that I could move, but all that I could do was barely twitch my fingers.

As he tried to go lower though, I felt a surge of energy go through me, my fingers sparking.

"Ah, are we becoming mad now?" he taunted, roughly grabbing my leg and squeezing it in his iron grip.

I felt even more tears fall at the pain, but nothing else came from me. It was then that the woman known as Jade came in, halting him from furthering his sinful assault. I silently cried a thank you to her for saving me from a terrible and traumatizing fate.

"What do you want?" Victor growled irritably.

"I thought that you'd like to know, we have company," Jade said, nodding behind her.

Victor's eyes narrowed for a moment, before a cruel smirk curled onto his cold lips.

"Finally," he started, turning back to me, "It seems as though they have finally come for you my dear. Now, let's see what they really think of you," he said, pulling me up from the bed and out of the room. "Come my dear, we can't keep company waiting," he laughed, tugging me along through the hallway.

**There we go everyone, chapter 29. I hope everyone liked it, despite some of the contents. Anyway, please remember to REVIEW? I'd love to hear what people have to say about this one. Thanks everyone. :)**


	31. Chapter 30

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 30**

"Hey, slow down Gumbo!" Logan called as Gambit ran ahead of them down the tunnel.

Despite what Logan said though, Gambit wasn't going to slow down or stop. He knew that something was wrong, he could feel it in his very soul. The problem was, he knew that he was unable to do much about it. All that he could do was hurry forward toward their destination and hopefully to Elaine's rescue.

T

I couldn't do anything at all, save for groan on the inside as he pulled me along. I already knew who we were going to see, but I was also dreading it too. The reason? I have absolutely no control over myself.

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to face off against one of your own friends?" Victor asked with a chuckle.

I didn't answer as he continued to pull me along, closer to a room.

"No? Well, you're about to find out my dear," he said, a cruel smile on his face.

It was then that he threw me forward, into the room in front of us, lights coming on all over the place. When I took a closer look though, I found out exactly who I was standing in front of.

"Cheri?" Gambit called out happily as he spotted me, but he received no answer.

All I could do was stand there in front of everyone, making not a sound, not even pulling a single muscle.

I wanted to scream when I felt Victor wrap his arm around my waist, pulling me against him.

"Why hello boys," Victor greeted happily.

"Get ya hands off o' her!" Gambit yelled, starting to make his way forward, but he was stopped by Logan.

"Oh, I'm sorry, does that anger you?" Victor asked, already knowing the answer to his question.

"Why even ask when ya already know d'e answer, you dirty snake," the anger in his voice was evident as he spoke.

"Well, if you're going to be so testy..." he stopped mid sentence to crush his lips against mine, before turning back to everyone, "then you can have her," he said, shoving me forward.

For a split second, I had a sliver of hope that everything would be okay, then...

"Kill him," Victor exclaimed, sentencing me to my fate.

After that, my body had a mind of its own as it ran forward at full speed. Fireballs flew from my hands toward Remy. All that he could do was put his arms up in an attempt to protect himself as he took the blow.

I then felt my hands heating up, before sending a force of explosive power his way. He was sent flying back into one of the walls. What was sad, was that he wasn't fighting back at all.

After about 10 minutes of everyone fighting, Victor spoke up.

"You can't fight back, can you LeBeau?" Victor asked, watching my countless assaults on Remy.

"I won' fight her. I won' fight ma cheri Elaine. D'is ain't her, Gambit know betta d'an d'at," he said, dodging another attack.

"So, you've noticed then? I'm impressed," Victor laughed, "but that won't save you from being killed by the one you love."

Gambit just ignored him and kept his eyes trained on me as I continued to attack. As I did this, I could feel tears falling from my eyes and rolling down my cheeks. Every time that I attacked him, it was like attacking myself, but twice that much.

"Cheri, ya have ta fight d'is," he said, moving around me until he was able to grab me and trap me in his arms.

I stood there, struggling against him as he held onto me tightly, my back against his chest. I just wished that I could be free of this and stop struggling, but it did me little good to think about it.

"Please, Cheri, fight it," he pleaded, trying his best to keep a hold on me.

"Re...my..." I choked out in a whisper, tears spilling down my face.

That was all that I could manage to get out as I broke free of his hold, whirling around and knocking him to the ground. It was when I rose to strike again, that I was sent flying back into a wall by one of Scott's beams.

All I could do was lay there and cry, unable to move.

"How could you!" Gambit yelled in disbelief, a scared expression on his face as he looked at Scott.

"She was going to kill you!" Scott argued, dodging an attack from another mutant.

"Get back up," Victor ordered, watching me lay there on the ground.

I didn't even budge to respond to his order, which only infuriated him further.

"I said get back up," he spat, marching forward and grabbing me by the back of the neck.

I let out a small gasp as he did this, trying to move away, but again it did me little good as he pulled the liquid out again.

"Why don't we fix this?" he said as more of a statement than a question, jerking my neck down and letting a few drops out.

It was then that my body went rigid, the drug taking over once more and I soon found myself standing there once more despite the pain.

"Now…" he began, leaning his lips down to my ear. "Kill him…use your full power."

With that, I was thrown forward, aiming to attack Remy as my hands started glowing. This time, it was a darker red as I let my hands fly to the ground, watching a small upheaval before flames were sent rushing toward him at a fanominal speed.

_No! _I cried, wishing that I could take it back.

All that I could do though was watch as it hit him, sending him flying back painfully into a wall.

"Finish him," Victor ordered, watching me as I stepped toward Remy with my right hand raised.

Once more I could feel as my hand heated up, readying for another attack.

_Get up! Get up Remy, please! _I cried as I stepped closer, praying that he would move.

Then, right as I attacked he leapt out of the way, dodging my attack.

_Thank God… _I whispered in my head, happy that he was alright.

"Cheri, Elaine, remember who you are," Remy called to me as he brushed himself off, staff in hand. "You're strong, you can overcome d'is, just concentrate," he implored, keeping his staff up and ready to defend himself.

I knew who I was, the problem was that my body didn't. it wasn't cooperating with me at the moment. Although, I knew that he was right, I had to try and fight it. I had to try my absolute hardest and not give up. I had to do this not only for Remy or myself, but for everyone. The only problem was that I was far too tired.

"Kill him!" Victor bellowed in anger.

Even with his yell, I willed my body to stay still for a moment or two, my hands slowly starting to glow red again.

"That's it, do it!" he commanded.

This time, I had to allow my body to move, each footstep bringing me closer to Remy.

"Come on cheri, you can do it, I know you can," Remy told me, giving me encouragement.

_Kill him… _I could practically hear Victor's voice whispering in my mind as I stepped even closer to Remy, hands raising up passed my sides in a glowing rage.

Before I could stop myself, power was once again sent flying toward him, barely missing him as he moved out of the way. Then another, and another. One by one, flames were sent out along with destructive power that I could not control.

"Gambit, watch out!" Scott yelled as another mutant got ready to attack.

Moments later it was stopped by me, knocked to the ground and unconscious. I smiled on the inside as I watched this. I had stopped them from hurting Remy. Unfortunately, this angered Victor, causing him to pull a gun from his coat pocket.

"I've had enough of this…" he spoke aloud, raising his gun and pointing it at Remy.

That was it, that was my cue, I had to break free. From there, it was almost as if everything was in slow motion. Remy barely had time to register that a gun had been pulled out and pointed at him. He didn't even realize that I was moving toward him. All that I was doing was tricking my body forward at a quick pace, allowing Victor no time to change his mind as the trigger was pulled. Then, everything came back up to speed, the sound of gasps catching my ears, along with Remy's cry.

The bullet hadn't hit him, but me instead as I stood in front of him, no longer being controlled.

"Remy…" I whispered, before falling forward.

He caught me in his arms, holding me close as he pet my hair softly, a barely audible choking sob escaping from his throat as he held onto me.

"Elaine, cheri, why?" he whispered, "Why'd ya do it?"

"Because…I love you," I whispered, wincing from the pain that I felt.

"Fool!" Victor shouted, outraged at the act I had preformed.

Yes, I had deliberately gotten in his way on purpose, but I did it for Gambit. I did it for Remy, to keep him safe. I wasn't about to have him hurt because of me, but now I was the one paying for it.

"I'm sorry…I wasn't…strong enough," I whispered quietly.

Remy merely shook his head at me.

"Now, d'ere be none o' d'at," he said, placing a hand gently on my cheek. "Ya did good cher…ya did real good," he whispered, before tentatively pressing his lips to mine.

It made me cry as I felt his lips against mine, a small smile twitching at the corners of my lips. It made me happy having him do that. I was so glad to be back in his arms again, so happy that it made me cry.

"Scott!" Remy called.

Moment later, a beam was sent out at Victor, knocking him back off his feet and into a wall.

"Let's get out of here," Logan said quickly as he ran over to us, pulling me from Remy's arms as he helped him stand.

I didn't really mind though. I was glad to see Logan's face again. He was like a loveable brother or father. I really wasn't' sure which, but in my eyes, he was family to me. As we got toward the exit we heard Victor's voice.

"Stop them!" he ordered.

"Put me down," I said quickly, watching as the mutants ran forward to stop us.

Logan looked at me like I was crazy, but reluctantly placed me on my feet, him and Remy standing on either side of me.

This was it, it was time to test my powers and strength. This was my moment to prove myself and protect those that I loved. So with that in mind, I stood there with my hands raised and eyes closed, concentrating on my powers.

Everyone watched with wide eyes as my hands started glow a brilliant red, the light traveling up from my hands to my arms, until everything else followed suit. Moments later, my entire body was surrounded with power. I'd say what actually shocked Victor was when I opened my eyes, my eyes glowing just as bright, before quickly throwing my hands forward.

Screams were heard as I unleashed my powers, explosive power coming forth to burn and destroy. It scared me a bit, but I ignored it and continued. I would protect those around me with my life.

Minutes later, my eyes closed and I fell to the ground.

T

"Cheri!" Gambit exclaimed, rushing forward and catching Elaine before she fully hit the ground. "Cheri?" he breathed, shaking her slightly, but received no response as she laid there in his arms.

It was then that he checked for a pulse, sighing in relief when he found one, though weak as it was. All he could do was give a faint smile as he held her against him, bringing her head to his chest, right above his heart for her to hear his heartbeat. He knew that it gave her pleasure and peace hearing something so pure a sound. The sound of a heartbeat, a sound that could not be tainted or changed. It was a steady rhythmic beat that pounded against the walls of his chest.

"Time to go Gumbo," Logan said, pulling up on the collar of the Cajun's long brown coat.

He stood up moments later with Elaine in his arms, easily cradling her against him in his warm embrace.

**IMPORTANT:**

**Finally, the long awaited chapter 30! I've finally reached 30! *cheer and does a happy dance* Sorry for being goofy, but I'm happy I've finally managed to accomplish a 30th chapter with this story. Although, I will need help with ideas from here if people wish for this story to continue. I'm sure that won't be very hard though since so many people like this story, but still. I really need help with ideas now, so please help? Remember to REVIEW and MESSAGE. Thanks everyone. Oh and I now have another story out now, this one is for the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves for Will Scarlet. Thanks everyone and remember to check out my PROFILE for other stories. :)**


	32. Chapter 31

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 31**

"_Gambit, I love you," came the sweet sound of Elaine's voice._

_Gambit turned around with a smile on his face, sweeping his love into his arms._

"_I love you too mon cheri," he cooed softly into her ear._

_He could see the smile on her face as she looked at him, the sun radiating off of her face. She was so beautiful in his eyes, such a beauty. He could barely believe that she was actually his._

"_I love you so much," he whispered into her hair as he held her close._

"_But Remy…I'm dead."_

_As she said this, he pulled away, staring at her face. His eyes then caught sight of the hole in her chest, blood slowly seeping from the wound._

"_No…" he whispered, shaking his head. "No!"_

T

Gambit bolted up in bed in a cold sweat, gasping for air as he sat there. The dream that he had had was perfect, completely perfect until those words of death had met his ears. With that in mind he stood from his bed, swinging his long legs over the side of his bed. He stood there for a moment, merely staring into his mirror. What he saw staring back at him was the face of a man that was grief stricken, but also a man that was in love. He knew that he would likely go insane if something were to happen to his love, his darling Elaine.

Keeping that set in his mind he went to his dresser and pulled out a simple grey shirt. This was something that was different for Remy because he normally wanted to look nice, but today he didn't care. All he really cared about was seeing Elaine, so he slipped it on and then ran out the door, running a hand through his messy hair.

When he got down to the medical room he found Elaine laying on one of the padded medical tables, her eyes closed and dreaming as she laid there.

"Gambit," Hank greeted with a slight bow of his head. "How are you doing this morning?" he asked as he looked over Elaine's vitals.

"Fine I guess, but what Remy really want is ta know if cheri's alright?" Gambit questioned as he stepped forward, looking down at his dark haired angel. "Is she gonna get betta?"

Hank looked at him for a moment, stepping closer to both Gambit and Elaine. He then looked down at the girl, his eyes flicking over her body and assessing things.

"She took quite a hit to the back, but…she should be fine," he told Gambit, a kind and sympathetic smile raising onto his lips.

Hank watched as Gambit let out a sigh of relief, the boy's head falling slightly as he looked down at the girl he loved. In all honesty, Hank was glad that the two had managed to fall in love. He'd even heard from the Professor in conversations the bond that the two shared. He was actually surprised though when the idea had been brought to his attention. He knew in his heart though that the two were good for each other.

"T'ank ya Hank…Remy really appreciates it," Gambit said as he bowed his head in thanks to the furry blue man before him.

"Quite alright my boy," Hank said, looking over a few charts that he had secured to his clipboard.

Hank stood there for a few more moments, writing things down, before turning his gaze back toward Gambit.

"From what I hear, she put up quite a fight," Hank said, trying to make conversation.

"Oui, d'at she did," Gambit nodded, brushing his fingertips against Elaine's cheek softly. "She did good, real good. Made Remy proud she did," Gambit said, a small smile gracing his lips.

He was so happy to have her back, yet at the same time saddened as a result of the state that she was in. Although, Gambit knew that when Elaine was finally up, that she would likely push herself passed her limits. At the thought of that, his mind went back to her rescue. She had held so much power, so much energy and control. That burst of power, the sight of her skin glowing a brilliant red, and her eyes gleaming rubies. She was like a radiating, deadly siren of myth to his eyes. Although, he still had a smile on his face for the mere fact of knowing that she was his. She was his beautiful radiant bell, his angel, his rose, his love.

Hank watched as Gambit stood there, his fingers stroking the side of her face softly, before leaning down and pressing his lips to her own. After that, he turned around, reluctant to pull his gaze away from the young woman as he heard the mechanical doors opening to the medical lab. It was there that he spotted Logan, a bit of a gruff look on the older man's face.

"Logan?" Gambit greeted with slight question in his voice.

"The Professor wants to see ya upstairs," Logan said, walking forward the rest of the way until he was beside Elaine's bed.

"Why?" came Gambit's obvious question.

"Something about danger room sessions or something," Logan said with a shrug of the shoulders, his eyes falling down upon Elaine's sleeping form.

Like Gambit, Logan too wanted her to wake up. Although, they both knew that it was hit or miss at the moment. She would wake up eventually, but it was all up to her, they didn't have a say in the matter at all. Then again, it had also only been a couple days, but to them it felt like an eternity.

"Why would he want ta talk ta me 'bout d'at?" Remy asked, giving Logan a curious look.

"Don't ask me, I haven't got a clue," Logan told him.

With a sigh, Remy closed his eyes, before pinching the bridge of his nose. He glanced back down at Elaine for a moment, then at Logan, then the door.

"Remy don' like d'at danger room much," he said with a tired voice before walking out of the room and down the hall.

T

_It was dark outside as I sat there, eyes turned toward the starry night sky. I could feel the cold of the wind against my skin as I sat there, shivering slightly as it hit me in light waves._

"_Cheri, why don' ya come inside darlin'? Is too cold out," came Remy's velvet voice, the mere sound of it warming my insides._

"_I like it out here though. I mean, it's not that cold out," I said, trying to delay my return to the mansion._

_I just heard him laugh, before feeling his arms wrap around my shoulders from behind, his warm breath tickling my ears._

"_Really now, ya don' say?" he said with a thick chuckle._

_This in itself made my face go slightly red as he sat there behind me on his knees, a feeling of embarrassment going through me as he caught me in an obvious lie. It wasn't very hard for him to tell when I was lying._

"_Now, let's go inside Cheri," he cooed softly, before kissing my cheek gently, the side of his face catching mine for a moment as he started to stand back up._

_He stood there, a charming smile on his face as he looked down at me, his hand extended toward me._

"_Always such a gentleman," I said as I took hold of his hand, watching him smile further at my statement, earning a smile of mine own._

T

"So, what you'r sayin' is d'at you want me ta help her in d'e danger room?" Remy asked as he looked over at the Professor.

Xavier nodded his head, his hands folded in front of him on the desk.

"Yes, I think further training would be good," he informed him, pushing away from the desk for a moment to look at a picture sitting perched on a shelf.

The picture in question was one of Jean Grey, a woman who had been one of his star students at a time. One for which had been like a daughter to the kind man. The woman herself had also been much like Elaine. Both women powerful, both learning to fully control their powers, and both with people after them. Charles knew that he had to do everything in his power to help Elaine. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she were to end up anyway in the form that Jean did. No, he wanted Elaine to live in a life without fear, a life with the one that she loved. Yes, Charles wanted things to work out for Elaine in a way where they couldn't for Jean. He only hoped that Gambit would forever be by her side to help and protect her.

"Professor?" Remy called, pulling the man from his thoughts.

"Oh, I'm sorry Gambit," he said with a small chuckle. "I suppose I lost myself for a few moments."

"It alright Professor. So, was d'ere anyt'ing else ya needed me for?" Gambit asked, scratching the back of his head for a moment.

"No, actually, but you might want to return now," Charles said, a small smile on his face.

At the sight of this Gambit's eyes widened, his hand raising slightly in question.

"You mean…?" he started, watching as the man before him nodded his head.

_Cheri._

With that, Gambit ran out of the room, his legs moving as fast as they possibly could. It was times like this that he was thankful for his height. The only thing he wasn't thankful for was the fact that in his rush, he was nearly tripping over his own feet. All of those thoughts disappeared though as he burst through the medical doors, pushing on them in hopes that it would make the mechanics open quicker.

"Elaine?" Gambit called walking quickly over to the bed.

He almost couldn't believe it when her head turned toward him, her eyes opening to stare into his own.

"Remy?" she crocked, her voice a bit hoarse from lack of use.

"Elaine," he cried happily, taking hold of her hand with his own and bringing it to his face.

He let out a content sigh upon feeling the warmth of her hand against his cheek, a familiar feeling washing over him.

"You don' know how happy I am right now darlin'," he chuckled, bringing her hand down a bit and pressing his lips to the back of her knuckles.

T

"Remy," I whispered, my throat throbbing as I tried to speak.

"Shh, don' talk," he said gently, placing a single finger to my lips.

I just looked at him with a faint smile, fatigue obviously lacing my features in his eyes. I still felt so tired, but I knew that I couldn't sleep the whole time. No, I had to at least try and do something, even if it was merely talking with him. Although, I had to let out a small groan when trying to sit up, this in itself making Remy slightly frantic.

"Wait, wait, let Remy help ya," he said, standing up straight and helping me sit up properly. "D'ere, much betta," he smiled, coming to sit on the side of the bed. "Now, how ya feelin?"

"Well, that depends," I said, sitting up just a bit further, before lacing my fingers with his own. "Are you okay?" I asked, looking him over with my eyes for a moment.

"Now, why you worried 'bout old Remy?" he asked as he turned his eyes toward mine, locking eyes with me, only to have me sigh.

"Remy… I…I could have killed you," I whispered, bringing my hand up and running it through my hair for a moment.

"Hey now…" he started, turning and bringing his other hand up and resting it on my cheek. "Remy ain't goin' nowhere darlin'," he cooed softly, before lightly pressing his lips to mine, his forehead resting against afterward.

I could feel my eyes water as he did this. I mean, I didn't expect him to hold everything that happened against me, but I still didn't expect this. Then again, I suppose that after all this time with him, I'm still getting accustomed to things. That's just one more reason why I love him.

In return, I placed my own hand on his cheek, letting my fingers slide across it. I couldn't help, but giggle a bit upon feeling the obvious stubble on his face, the feeling tickling my fingertips.

"What's so funny?" he asked, giving me a questionable look.

"You need to shave," I told him, not bothering to hide the smile on my face.

"So I do," he laughed, taking his hand and rubbing his chin and face a few times, feeling for himself the stubble that was there. "Betta get rid of it soon. Don' wanna end up like d'e Wolverine," he said, glancing at me out of the side of his eye with a grin forming on his face.

"Remy!" I scolded, shoving his arm playfully.

"What? You know how much hair d'at man has? Mercy me, Remy ain't neva gonna end up like d'at," he said with a laugh and smile on his face.

"You're terrible, you know that?"

"Oui, but ya love me, yes?" he tilted his head to the side as he asked me this, watching the smile pulling at the corner of my lips.

"Oui, Remy, I love you," I told him, bringing his face toward mine and pecking him on the lips.

"And I you darlin'," he returned, kissing my forehead softly.

**The long awaited chapter 31! :) I really do apologize for the wait everyone, I really do. I've had writers block lately and haven't been able to do much. That and I've been really sick these last 3 months, so that's another reason why I haven't been able to think properly. I'm back now though or at least for a little while anyway. I actually have an Endoscopy scheduled for Thursday, so I don't think I'll be doing much that day on anything. Anyway, don't forget to REVIEW and MESSAGE everyone. I love hearing from all of you. Let me know what you think about this chapter and as usual if you have any ideas or anything else like that. Thank you everyone! :) Also, don't forget to check my PROFILE for all of my other wonderful stories.**


	33. Chapter 32

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 32**

Once I was well enough to be out of bed, I spent most of my time with Remy when I wasn't in classes. The Professor insisted that I have someone with me at all times, especially, if I wanted to go out somewhere. There was that and also the fact if I wanted to go outside in general.

I didn't mind really. I knew that everyone was worried about me. I mean, I would be too if I were in their shoes, watching me get hurt and everything else. I can only imagine what it did to Remy and Logan. It probably put them through hell when I was kidnapped.

In all honesty, the mere thought about what happened hurt terribly. I couldn't bare to think about it, the feeling of that man's hands on me or his lips on mine. The thought itself nearly made me sick to my stomach.

"Elaine, darlin'?" Remy called, tearing me away from my thoughts.

"S-sorry Remy," I apologized, snuggling against his arm as we continued to sit there on the couch downstairs, my homework already done for the day.

"Cheri, what's wrong darlin'?" he asked, looking down at me with those eyes of his.

"It's nothing, honest," I told him, closing my eyes as I let my head rest against his shoulder.

I could hear him sigh as I sat there, feeling him take hold of me with his other arm and pull me into his lap. I looked up at him with curiosity as he did this.

"Remy?" I questioned, my brow knitting together slightly.

"Why ya gotta lie ta Remy, cheri?" he asked, a bit hurt that I wasn't telling him what was really wrong. "There ain't no point in it," he told me, pulling me against him a bit more so that I was leaning against him in his arms.

"Remy…I just don't like thinking about what happened," I whispered, not wanting to talk about it.

"I saw what he did," he started, but I didn't let him finish.

"No you didn't," I said curtly, before hiding my face.

"Elaine, darlin', what happened?" he asked slowly, placing his hand on my cheek.

Wet tears met his touch in the process, making his own brow knit together in confusion.

"Elaine?" he questioned, but I didn't answer.

No, I merely sat there in his lap not saying a single word. I knew that this worried him, but I couldn't help it. Having those thoughts running through my head, those thoughts of Victor, they made me sick. They scared me just like my bloody nightmares. They were absolutely horrid.

"Elaine?" he called softly as though afraid he'd scare me away.

I barely even made an effort to look at him until he took hold of my chin, slowly pulling it upward to make me look at him.

"Tell me what happened darlin'?" he pleaded softly, staring me in the eyes.

I could feel that charm of his slowly starting to work on me. It annoyed me in a way, but it also put me at ease like it normally did. I knew that at least with Remy, he didn't use it to his advantage like Victor did. No, Victor used his to control people. Remy used his to make me feel more comfortable and calm me down.

"You only saw part of what that man did Remy," I whispered, pulling my head back away from his hand for a moment to wipe away my tears.

I could tell that this saddened him to see me like this. It always hurt if we saw each other like this. It would never be easy, that was for sure.

"I was so afraid… afraid that he…" I couldn't even finish my sentence as tears started to fall.

It was then that I felt his arms wrap around me, pulling me closer into an embrace, one of his hands going to the back of my head while the other rested around my waist.

"Is alright darlin', it'll all be alright, I promise. Remy promise Cheri, I promise," he cooed, petting my hair and rubbing my back as he tried to calm me.

I was so glad that he could understand what was going on without me continuing, but I still knew that eventually everything would have to come out into the open. Knowing Logan, that in itself was unavoidable. At this point, I could rarely keep anything of this sort from him. The man was like a father to me and I simply didn't feel right keeping secrets from him anymore. Although, I didn't know who would react worse to hearing exactly what Victor had done to me, Remy or Logan.

"Remy, I need some fresh air," I nearly choked out, the air around me nearly suffocating me.

Within minutes we were both outside, Remy's coat hanging on my shoulders to keep me warm. It felt so good to be outside, the cool air blowing against me and cooling my face. My palms were no longer sticky with sweat from the fire. I just felt so much better standing outside in the open. It was calming to say the least.

T

All that Remy could do was try his best to comfort Elaine, but even with that he felt useless to a degree. He could feel his blood boil at her reaction to Victor. Unfortunately, he had a very good idea of what had happened. Knowing Victor, when he wants something, he stops at nothing to get it. He knew that he likely touched Elaine, coming close to raping her. Either that or it was what the man was planning on doing. He still remembered standing there and watching as that despicable man kissed his beautiful bell, unable to do anything about it. He was ready to launch forward and attack the man if it hadn't been for Logan.

_D'at reminds me, Remy gotta deal wi'd Wolverine in d'e danger room, _he thought to himself, turning his attention back to Elaine.

She just stood there with her eyes closed, a few tears still dripping from her chin. It broke his heart to see her like that, but he just didn't know what to do. So with a sigh, he placed his arms around her, pulling her against him. The only thing that he could do at this point was to hold her and hope that it would be enough.

"I love you Cheri," he whispered, her back to his chest as his arms lay wrapped around her front.

She tilted her head back a bit to look at him, craning her neck slightly. She stared at him for a moment, fatigue slowly washing over her and clouding her spirit. Luckily, it didn't cloud it enough as to not allow an, "I love you," to escape her lips. After about half a hour though, that long awaited question left Remy lips.

"Cheri, ya lookin' mighty tired. Perhaps we should go back inside now?" he suggested, nudging her cheek gently with his.

"Alright Remy," she whispered quietly, a small yawn escaping her.

Then, with a quick and fluid motion she was in his arms, clinging to his neck with a start.

"Remy!" she squeaked, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

He only laughed, tossing her up a bit to get a better hold on her as he held her, calmly walking back toward the mansion. He couldn't help the smile that was on his face as he walked, trying to keep from laughing further as his dear Elaine gave him a playful glare.

"Come now Cheri, Remy jus' tryin' ta be a gentleman," Remy chuckled, before turning his head and kissing her cheek the best that he could. "Ya wouldn' deny Remy d'at one pleasure would ya?"

He then watched a smile slowly form on her face, happiness filling his heart at the sight of it, for this one was a real one. She really meant it this time when she smiled at him, truly happy.

T

Remy had asked her which room she wanted to be in, his or hers. She picked his, so he automatically obliged. It wasn't long though after that that she fell asleep, letting him place her under the covers of his bed with ease. Then just as he was getting ready to sit down on the bed, there was a knock at the door.

"Oui?" Remy responded, opening his door to be greeted by Logan. "What you want Wolverine?" Remy asked, leaning against the frame of the door.

Logan stood there for a moment, crossing his arms over his chest.

"To talk, that's all," Logan told him.

"D'en talk," Remy said, continuing to stand there against the door frame.

"Not here," Logan said, shaking his head before grabbing Remy by the collar of his shirt and pulling him along.

"Hey, easy now," Remy said defensively, pulling free of Logan's grip and straightening out his shirt.

"Just come on," Logan told him, his patience starting to ware a bit thin as he walked down the hall and down the steps to the living room.

Remy followed behind him reluctantly, combing his hand through his hair in a tired manner. Personally at the moment, he just wanted to go to bed, to lay there with Elaine in his arms and just watch her while she slept.

"Ya mind getting' d'is over wi'd?" Remy asked. "It been a long day and Gambit ready for some shuteye."

"Put a sock in it Gumbo," Logan said curtly as he pulled out a cigar and lit it by the fireplace.

Logan stood there for a minute or two, just breathing in the content of his cigar, before exhaling the smoke. The mere smell of it made Remy's nose wrinkle up in disgust.

"Ya know, ya shouldn' smoke d'ose t'ings," Remy said, turning his head to the side in an attempt at breathing in clean air.

"So?" came Logan's reply, causing Remy to let out a sigh.

"Either talk or Remy leavin'," he said, turning around to leave.

He didn't get very far though before Logan finally decided to speak.

"What'd the Professor want?" Logan asked, his cigar resting expertly between his fingers.

"He didn' want me teachin' if d'at's what ya mean," Remy said dismissively. "He wants me ta keep an eye on Elaine. Help her in d'e danger room," he said.

He then turned back toward Logan with a yawn, rolling his shoulder a bit.

"Can Remy go ta bed now?" he asked, trying his best to get Logan to let him leave.

It didn't work very well though because moments later, Logan was pulling him back by the back of his shirt and into a chair.

"I'm not done with you yet Gumbo," Logan told him.

"D'en what you want Wolverine?" Remy asked as he started getting annoyed.

"Just listen, okay?" Logan asked as he put his hand up. "I'm worried about Elaine, alright? She hasn't been herself lately, not since we got back," he said, pacing the floor a bit.

"Well, Wolverine, ya don' know Victor like Remy do," he told him, leaning his head back in the chair.

"What do you mean?" Logan questioned, finally deciding to stand still for a moment.

"Victor is a lyin', cheatin', bastard. He stops at nothin' when he wants somethin'. D'at man be down right rottin'," Remy explained.

"So basically you're telling me he's a sleaze ball then?" Logan inquired, receiving an obvious nod.

"Oui. Although, Remy could t'ink of a few more word, but I t'ink ya got it," he announced.

**I apologize for taking so long in updating. I actually wrote this one at the end of January and completely forgot that I'd written it. Also, I can't remember if I was actually completely done writing the chapter, but after rereading, I came to the conclusion that I probably was. Luckily, having this chapter gives me a bit of an opening of were to continue writing, so hopefully I'll have another chapter up soon. Anyway, I hope that everyone liked this chapter? Please, remember to REVIEW and MESSAGE with your thoughts, opinions, and ideas. I can always use a bit of inspiration or ideas to help me write. Thanks everyone and keep reading. Also, please check out my PROFILE for other stories that you might like. SEND ME REVIEWS OR MESSAGES WITH ANY POSSIBLE IDEAS FOR THE STORY! THANKS! :)**


	34. Chapter 33

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 33**

"Remy!" I groaned.

He just gave me one of those goofy smiles of his, smiling away as he stood there with me in the basements Danger Room twirling his staff in his hand. He was trying his best to help me with my powers, something that the Professor had advised once I was feeling up to it, along with teasing me at the same time. Although, the only thing I got was a smoking heap of nothing. It was hard to gather everything up when I wasn't frightened or angry or had an immediate need for them.

So much had happened in the last few weeks and now I was stuck in the Danger Room everyday practicing and fighting. It was something that I had to do. I had to learn to harness this power that I had inside of me so that I'd be able to use it at will. I had gotten lucky when fighting Victor, since I was on an emotional high. Although, that high was gone now, leaving me only the willpower that I currently had.

_I never want to be that vulnerable again_, I thought to myself, frowning slightly as I thought about it.

It annoyed me that I had been powerless to defend myself against Victor. I had been so easily controlled, turned against my own friends, the ones that I considered to be family in my eyes. I had been forced to attack the one close to my heart, the one that loved me. Remy hadn't even fought back when I had attacked him and I'd say that that hurt even more because he wasn't willing to protect himself properly against me. Especially, since I could have easily killed him if Scott hadn't shot at me like he had. I mean yes, it hurt, but I'd rather get hit than end up killing one of my friends.

"Somethin' wrong cheri?" Gambit asked, his brows furrowing as he gazed at me.

I knew that it was probably obvious to him what I was thinking, but I just shook my head though before quickly moving out of the way as something flew by us, startling me in the process.

"I hate this thing," I groaned, feeling myself becoming frustrated as I stared down at my hands.

They curled at my sides as I thought about things causing them to flare and spark, a faint glow of red raising upon my skin, licking at it as though waiting in anticipation.

"Careful d'ere Cheri," Gambit quipped, moving back slightly as he watched.

"Remy, move!" I shouted, quickly pushing him out of the way as another weapon was fired at us, before sending an energy wave down into the ground.

I watched the building upheaval of earth raising, racing toward the enemy at high speed, the sound of heavy rumbling meeting our ears. All this because of the fact that I absolutely hated guns. After all, why wouldn't I after being shot with one. Although, once again, that left me thinking back to what had happened.

I still remember freezing when that gun was raised, the barrel aiming at Gambit with the intent to kill him. My mind was on fire, thoughts racing rampant through my head. I could have died right then and there and I was still under Victor's control. I was still amazed when I had managed to stop it though, pulling myself forward enough to protect him, even though I ended up with a bullet in the back. It was all worth it though in order to save him.

Even though weren't mutants, that doesn't mean that we can't be killed by simple human weapons.

T

"Hey!" Logan called, catching my attention as we walked down the hall.

We'd been done with the Danger Room for at least a couple hours now, leaving us to merely walk around the mansion and talk.

"Hey Logan," I smiled, giving him a small wave as he walked toward us.

"What's goin' on?" Gambit asked, scratching the back of his neck as he sent a glance Logan's way.

"Nothing," he said, before turning toward me. "Professor wants a word with ya," he told me, hitching a thumb behind him.

"About what?" I was curious to know what he wanted, although, I kind of had an idea of what it was.

It was most likely the normal stuff, checking on me personally to see how I was doing, and how I was holding up. The Professor was always keeping tabs on me, making sure that I was okay. It was likely due to everything that's happened to me so far. Not to mention, since he practically knows everything about me. That's the only problem about having a telepath around, you don't always get the privacy that you'd like.

"Your guess is as good as mine kid. I suggest you get goin' though and don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Gumbo here," he grinned, throwing an arm around Remy's shoulders and pulling him close.

Gambit let out a groan in response, trying to pull away from the rugged man. It did him little good though since Logan pulled him closer, keeping a tight grip with his arm on Remy's neck so that he was left leaning over a bit as a result.

"Come on now, let go," he complained, trying once more to tug himself free. "Let go a me," he exclaimed.

I couldn't help, but to let out a small laugh as I watched this, earning myself a halfhearted glare from the Cajun.

"D'is ain't funny cher," he told me, tugging once more, only to end up in a full on headlock this time.

"Just quit while you're ahead kid," Logan told him, before pulling him away and down the hallway.

I was left standing there, a hand over my mouth as I stifled a laugh, shaking my head before turning around to walk the other way.

"Those two are something else," I mumbled, a small smile on my face as I headed toward the Professor's study to speak with him.

T

"Professor?" I called, gently knocking on his door.

A moment later, I heard the sound of his voice, the same warm tone coming out like it always does.

"Come in," he said.

I then opened the doors, letting myself step inside the room, before closing them behind me.

"You wanted to see me Sir?" I questioned, standing there in front of his desk with my hands clasped together in front of me.

"Yes, please, have a seat child," he smiled, slowly rolling out from behind his desk as I sat down in one of the chairs. "I just wanted to see how you were doing," he told me.

"Well, fine I guess," I said quietly, not sure of what else to say about it.

"And your time in the Danger Room with Gambit?" he inquired.

"Still not much luck," I sighed, a bit annoyed that I was still having trouble control things and drawing them out.

"But you have gotten better though," he assured me, giving me a smile of encouragement.

"I just…I can't seem to get a grasp on it," I admitted. "I'm trying, really I am Professor," I promised.

"I know you are my dear, it just takes time and practice is all," he assured me once more.

"But I should be able to use it by now," I exclaimed, frustrated with myself. "How can I put so much out before and yet now I'm left with nothing?" I asked.

He exhaled before speaking, coming a bit closer, until his hand was on top of mine.

"Elaine, my dear, sometimes we perform at our best when placed in such circumstances," he told me. "It's happening right then, at a time when you have to make a choice and act. I'm sure you merely need a bit more encouragement is all," he said, giving my hand a small squeeze.

"But…" I started, quickly losing my voice.

My thoughts went back to that feeling of vulnerability, being unable to do anything, being under the control of another.

"Elaine, that wasn't your fault," he said firmly, obviously hearing my thoughts.

"I could have killed him!" I cried, quickly becoming upset with myself.

"But you didn't," he pointed out.

"But I still tried to!" I cried, feeling my eyes water.

"Elaine, listen to me," he started, taking hold of my shoulders with his hands. "That was not you," he said, looking me straight in the eyes. "That serium that he gave you, I've seen what it can you. It couldn't be helped he told me."

"But I…"

"No," he shook his head. "Believe me, even some of the strongest of us are unable to overcome such a thing," he told me.

_I'm sure you'd be able to,_ I thought quietly to myself.

"Not necessarily," he said. "Even Magneto fell prey to it once before and he's a very strong minded individual mind you," he pointed out.

That caught my attention, shocking me to say the least. I never thought that either Magneto or the Professor would be able to fall prey to something such as that, but I guess that I was wrong.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of my dear. In fact, you should be rather proud of yourself from what I gather," he smiled.

"What do you mean?" I asked, not quite sure what he was getting at.

"There were a few moments where you were able to fight it off, even if only for a few moments. You fought and took control, enough to stop Gambit from meeting that bullet," he explained.

I was silent at the mention of it. I guess I was a bit proud in that fact, but I still wasn't happy with any of it per say.

"You did a very brave thing my dear," he told me, giving me a kind smile.

"I guess so…"

"You're much stronger than you think Elaine and there are many others out there that would kill to get a hold of someone like you. Remember that."

I nodded my head in reply, burning his statement into my mind. In a way, it was also his way of telling me to be careful.

I had come to realize over time, that I truly was dangerous. Then again, it's also something that I had learned a long time ago. The only difference now, was that I had more control over my powers than what I used to. Although, I still had the occasional slip ups of course, but I guess that was to be expected with me.

"You merely need practice my dear," he assured me. "That's also why we're all here for you."

That was true now that I thought about it. The Professor had always said that he would be there to help me and so far he'd kept to his word, helping me with my powers and other things.

Although, even with that, not everything was able to be resolved. My nightmares being one of them. In fact, I've had a few since I've been back, ones of Victor. Each time, they'd play in my head over and over again. I'd be laying there with him on top of me, kissing and groping with his mouth and hands. It was downright disgusting, sickening, and detestably revolting. It made me sick to my stomach even.

"Elaine?"

"Yes Professor?" I looked up quickly, realizing that I had zoned out for a moment.

"Try not to dwell on it too much dear," he said, referring to the nightmares.

"I'll try Sir," I said with a nod.

In return, he gave me a nod of his own, a warm smile on his face as he gazed over at me.

"Perhaps you should get something to eat my dear?" he suggested, rolling back a bit to give me some room to stand.

"Yes, I think I will," I nodded, carefully standing up from me seat.

I felt a little light headed when I did this, but just shook my head slightly, before blinking a few times. I'd likely stood up too quickly is all.

"Good day Professor," I said, bowing my head respectfully to him.

With that, I left the room, the Professor still inside.

**Yay! 33 everyone! Man, it feels good to be back! Anyway, I hope that everyone liked it? Also, please remember to REVIEW and MESSAGE me? Thanks everyone!**

**IMPORTANT:**

**I need HELP with this story to a degree. So please, if you have any ideas either MESSAGE me or send them in your REVIEW. You don't have to have an account to REVIEW, so there's no stopping you. But seriously, I do need help if I want to keep writing this, and I'd rather like to continue so that I can eventually label it as complete. Thanks everyone!**


	35. Chapter 34

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 34**

I stepped out into the cold night air, closing my eyes as a light wind swept through, cooling my skin. It was a familiar feeling that I had become accustomed to over the years, one of the few things that would calm and relax me. It was a way to get my mind off of things.

No matter what I did, things just wouldn't go away. I'd constantly have these fleeting thoughts, pent up guilt and disgust. The nightmares themselves left me sleepless and tired. At times, I'd nearly fall asleep during class. It even became harder for me to concentrate on daily things. The only good thing was that I only had about three months left and then I'd be done. Although, that was the only thing that would finally be done and over with. I still had to deal with Victor and others.

T

Gambit stood there by the window, looking outside at Elaine. He watched as she stood there, her back to him, eyes likely closed to the world.

She'd been tired as of late, trying her best not to let on to anyone else that fact. He still noticed though. For him, it was hard not to.

The smile she wore wasn't as real and she was less lively. She wasn't as talkative as she could have been at times. Even simple jokes would fall flat when used on her at times. It was the nightmares that she'd been having that were truly taking their toll on her and he was sure that he knew why. Victor.

That snake of a man was still alive, Gambit could feel it. Even worse, he was trying to take revenge on Elaine, trying to make her miserable whenever she slept. He also knew that Victor wouldn't stop until he had her in his grip again, but what he didn't know, was that Gambit wouldn't allow it. He'd be ready next time. Next time, Victor wouldn't have a chance in hell.

With that thought in mind, Gambit looked down at his coat pocket, tentatively reaching his hand in and pulling something out. In his hand was a small velvet box, the fabric smooth and soft to the touch, the texture itself only second to silk. The box itself was only two by two in size, easily fitting in the palm of his hand.

He smiled to himself as he gazed down at it, popping it open for a moment, the light bouncing off of it and catching in his eyes.

There was a curtain glint in his eye as he stared down at the small trinket, a smile slowly gracing his thin lips.

T

I sighed, turning my eyes to the starry night sky. Another cold breeze swept through, sending a shiver down my spine in light waves. It was colder out now than it was earlier, but I didn't care, I just pulled my jacket closer in an attempt to warm myself.

"Cheri, why don' ya come inside darlin'? Is too cold out," came Remy's velvet voice, the mere sound of it warming my insides.

This in itself felt familiar, like one of my dreams. It was as if I had seen and heard this before.

"I like it out here though. I mean, it's not that cold out," I said, trying to delay my return to the mansion.

I just heard him laugh, before feeling his arms wrap around my shoulders from behind, his warm breath tickling my ears. I shivered at the sensation, a small smile on my face.

"Really now, ya don' say?" he said with a thick chuckle.

This in itself made my face go slightly red as he sat there behind me on his knees, a feeling of embarrassment going through me as he caught me in an obvious lie. It wasn't very hard for him to tell when I was lying though. It was as though he had a sixth sense when it came to me.

"Now, let's go inside Cheri," he cooed softly, before kissing my cheek gently, the side of his face catching mine for a moment as he started to stand back up.

He stood there, a charming smile on his face as he looked down at me, his hand extended toward me.

"Always such a gentleman," I said as I took hold of his hand, watching him smile further at my statement, earning a smile of my own.

"For you? Always cheri," he smiled, pulling me into his chest with practiced ease.

A faint blush crept up onto my cheeks, painting them a faint pink as I stared at him, his hand coming up and resting gently against my cheek.

"Remy," I whispered, slowly closing my eyes as he leaned down, his lips pressing against my own.

The feeling set my soul on fire, warming me from the inside out, traveling from my chest to my fingertips. The kiss itself being soft and sweet, gentle, but passionate. It was a gentleman's kiss.

"I love you Cheri," he whispered, pressing his forehead against mine.

"I love you too Remy," I breathed, feeling his thumb caressing my cheek, the feeling trailing slowly down the side of my jaw.

He was always so gentle with me, always offering a smile, always so loving. He always seemed so perfectly pleasant and charming. He was truly one of a kind.

"Now," he started, placing a hand on my back. "Let's go inside," he finished, quickly throwing his other arm under my legs in one single sweeping motion.

I couldn't help, but to let out a squeak as he picked me up in his arms, holding me close. On instinct, my arms went around his neck, a sly smile pulling at his lips in reply.

"Let's get you back inside," he grinned, walking back toward the mansion, his warm arms securely wrapped around me.

"Have I ever told you how utterly sneaky you are?" I asked, biting back a small smile.

"You know, Remy not sure ya have," he grinned, leaning down and brushing his nose against mine, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

My eyes widened in response.

"You wouldn't dare," I warned.

"Oh, but I would," he grinned, before throwing open the door and taking me upstairs.

**Chapter 34! Yay! Anyways, I hope all of you liked this chapter? Please, remember to REVIEW and MESSAGE me with your thought, opinions, and feelings on this chapter/story? It keeps me writing. Also, can anyone guess what our dear Cajun was holding?**

**IMPORTANT:**

**I seriously need some ideas for this story. Inspiration of some kind, very important. MESSAGE me with ideas or put them in REVIEWS. The smallest thing can help, trust me. The possibilities are endless. Thanks everyone.**


	36. Chapter 35

**Combusting Hearts**

**Chapter 35**

Two Months Later

At this point, things were getting down to the wire. I had tests almost every day it seems like, leaving me studying hours into the night. I only had a month left and then I'd finally be graduating.

In the last two months though, not much had changed. I was still practicing with Gambit in the Danger Room, along with training with both the Professor and Logan. I still wasn't much closer to unleashing my full powers though, so that still irked me, but I was trying.

Each day, I tried to put out my best, even though in my opinion my best didn't seem to be good enough. What bothered me the most, was the still increasing nightmares that I had. It even got to the point where I was back to taking special sedatives at night every so often. This was only when I wasn't up all night studying of course. I'd say that it bothered most though, knowing that the nightmares never seemed to cease. As a result, I would often entertain myself with the cool nights air, leaving the mansion and wandering the gardens at night.

This night though, I was out in the gardens once again, my headphone on my ears. I knew the rules about being out late like this, but I didn't really care. I just closed my eyes as I stood there in the moon light, sweet melodies floating into my ears.

It was warmer out now, leaving me without a need for a jacket as the light cool air caressed my skin, cooling my faint temperature. I'd come down with a slight cold and the night air was helping a bit. It also relaxed me like any other time that I would come out here.

"I wish it could always be this calm," I said quietly, only barely hearing myself over the music in my ears.

Because of this music though, I couldn't hear anything else around me, but that was kind of the point I guess. I had deliberately tried to drown everything out.

T

Scott walked down the halls, checking in on students every now and then. He was making sure that everyone was in bed where they should be.

As he ended his round, he came upon Elaine's room, finding it empty upon further inspection. This left him slightly curious, causing him to further his search.

It didn't take long though before he found her. Looking through the window, he found her in the gardens, her eyes closed with a pair of headphones on. He just shook his head as he walked down the hallway, leaving out one of the doors and stepping outside.

For a while now, he'd been a bit wary of her being out by herself, but she seemed to make a habit of it for some reason or another. He wasn't sure why she did it per say, but she did. In fact, it was the only rule that she ever broke. It was almost as if standing out in the night air would drive everything away somehow.

"If only it were that easy," he mumbled, running a hand through his dark coppery hair with a sigh.

She didn't hear him of course, but he didn't expect her to with her headphones on.

That was another thing that Scott had noticed, her obsession with music. Other than standing outside in the gardens at night, music seemed to put her at ease as well, calming her down to a degree. He had to admit though, that it seemed to do the trick. If only it could spark her powers, then perhaps she'd be a bit happier.

It was obvious, her discomfort with her powers. She'd been trying to work with them every day, but never seemed to get any closer unless angered. That wasn't how the Professor wanted them to be conjured though. He wanted her to be able to use them willingly with a decent amount of control if possible. As a result, some of the students would still give her a hard time, but that was few. Although, she was still the butt of jokes from time to time around the school and that made her wary. Scott and the others tried their best to fix and resolve it though as best they could, but even they could only do so much.

"Elaine?" Scott called, walking toward her at a steady pace.

She gave no answer though, so he tried again.

"Elaine."

He sighed this time, coming up behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

T

I stood there, letting out a small breath of air, my eyes still closed as I rubbed my arms slightly. This was only due to a small breeze that came through, making the hairs on the back of my neck and arms stand on end. A moment later, I felt a hand on my shoulder, causing me to spin around quickly.

"S-Scott," I choked out, my breath slightly ragged from being startled.

I took my headphones off quickly, trying to get my breathing under control. I hated being startled and that was obvious.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said, scratching a bit of the stubble on his jaw as he stared at me.

"No, i-it's fine," I stammered, tucking a bit of hair behind my ear.

It was quiet for a moment, both of us standing there with the moon shining down on us.

"What are you doing out here so late anyway?" he asked.

"Well, I…" I paused, trying to think of how to explain myself to him.

He stood there patiently, his arms folded lightly over his chest. I just sighed, before finally deciding to answer him.

"Honestly Scott? I can't sleep," I admitted. "And I really don't feel like taking a sedative again," I whispered, rubbing my arms nervously.

"That bad huh?"

"Yeah…" I sighed, turning my head to look up at the sky.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as Scott did the same thing, the red quarts in his glasses shining in the light, almost giving them a faint glow.

I still remember when I first met him, he'd seemed so uptight and rude. Although, after getting to know him a bit more, I knew better. There was more to him than that, you just had to get to know him. In all honesty, he could actually be nice, even sweet to a point at times. Although, it was rare, him showing such emotions freely among others. I knew the reason behind it though, a result of being around him for so long. At this point, Scott could actually pass of as an annoying, and occasionally over protective older brother at times. He was nowhere near as close as Logan though, but that was beside the point. In fact, I don't think anyone could be as overprotective as Logan. That thought in particular made me smile faintly, catching Scott's attention.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, turning his head to look at me.

"No, not really, just thinking about you and Logan."

"Now that can't be good," he scoffed halfheartedly.

This made me laugh.

"Finally," he exclaimed as though achieving something, a smug look on his face.

"What?" my brows furrowed a bit.

"You laughed. You've been down in the dumps for days, I was beginning to wonder when it'd finally break," he chuckled faintly.

"Leave me be," I groaned, rolling my eyes at him. "I swear, you're nearly as bad as Logan when you're in the right mood," I complained, even though, it was more of a whine.

Scott merely grinned in response, reaching a hand over and ruffling my hair a bit in a friendly manner. He was definitely a lot friendlier than what he used to be, but I normally only saw it when it was just the two of us. Unfortunately, that wasn't very often. Regardless, I didn't really mind it as much. In all honesty, he kind of put me at ease with the way that he was.

"Hey, Scott?"

"Yeah?"

I stood there for a moment, turning my head back toward the sky, a small sigh escaping my lips.

"Do you think that we'll ever get rid of him?" I asked, my voice low and quiet.

"You mean Victor?" he questioned.

"Yeah…"

I heard him sigh, turning to look at him as he rubbed the back of his neck for a moment.

"We'll get him eventually," he assured me, but it was still hard for me to except.

In my mind, I wasn't sure what to believe or if I even could believe it. Victor seemed to be a never ending battle in the back of my head. The monster just wouldn't leave me alone and he was taking a toll on me.

Those nightmares would either be a flash of my memory or something new that Victor came up with to haunt me. At this point though, the nightmares of Sabertooth stalking after me didn't bother me as much. The man in question was under orders. Yes, he was rough, but in a way he reminded me of Logan. He just didn't show things. Although, he had less regard for life than Logan did, that was for sure. He still seemed like the playful fighting type though, always up for a challenge of something to possibly entertain him.

Victor was by far different though. The man was a monster, snaking around in the grass, always ready to lung forward and bite with his venomous touch.

I shivered at the thought of it, him touching me. Once again, it brought me back to that day when I had been captured. The feeling of his hand running up my side, the burning feeling in my skin as he kissed me. He'd forced himself on me in the worst way and I wasn't able to do anything about it. I'd felt liked I'd been left for dead, left to rot in that monsters venomous hold.

"He's grating away at my sanity Scott," I nearly choked out as I sat down on the ground, my arms wrapping around myself as I sat there.

"Hey, it'll be alright," he said, trying to comfort me as he knelt down beside me, his hand coming to rest on my shoulder.

He sat there with me for a few minutes, just sitting there rubbing my arm a bit. He really was something else at times I swear. When he wanted to, he could truly be a caring friend, even if I was one of few that he treated as such.

"I don't know how much more I can take Scott," I choked out, shaking a bit as a few tears fell. "I can't sleep, I can't think, I can't even breathe," I croaked.

"Listen to me," he said, taking me by the shoulders and making me look up at him. "We're going to fix this, okay?"

I looked up at him, trying to search his eyes for answers. I didn't come up with anything though unfortunately, but I still felt myself nod in response.

"I promise," he said, pulling my head into his shoulder as I choked back a few more tears.

It was hard crying in front of him, but I couldn't help it. I just hated feeling like this, so weak and all. Luckily, I knew I wouldn't get any smart ass remarks from him for it like I knew I would from others. That was Scott for you though.

"Now, why don't you go back inside and try to get some sleep?" he suggested, helping me stand up. "Besides, don't you have a quiz tomorrow in Storm's class?" he asked.

I just groaned in response.

"Ugh, don't remind me."

With that, I went back inside with him, his arm over my shoulders as we went upstairs.

"Now, get to bed kid," he said, pushing me toward my door.

"You sound like Logan," I laughed, turning the knob and pushing my door open.

"Yeah right, that'll be the day," he scoffed.

"Night Scott," I waved, bidding him goodbye.

"Goodnight," he nodded, before going his own way back down the hall.

I shut my door afterward, closing my eyes. It was going to be a long night.

**Okay everyone, that was chapter 35. Horray! Anyway, please let me know what you think? Remember to REVIEW and MESSAGE me with your thought, feelings, and opinions on this story/chapter.**

**IMPORTANT:**

**I need ideas people. I'd like to keep writing this story, but I need ideas, so please MESSAGE me or send them in REVIEWS? It'd be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone!**


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